Ten thousand years later.
Sunlight beamed onto the metal cladding of the institute, creating a harmonious warmth to circulate in the air. Cherry blossoms swirled in the warm wind, dancing at the feet of those who walked the courtyards. Students from all across Amberguarde shuffled about, creating an echo of excitement to fill the sound waves.
One of the students, was twenty year old Macey Russells, the reincarnation of the benevolent moon mage who saved the world and brought forth the light that their world desperately needed. She roamed the halls of the institute with her head held high, gripping tightly on the straps of her bag in nervousness.
She bit her bottom lip, her brow creasing in uncertainty. "I can't believe I'm here," she told herself, grinning from ear to ear. An urge to spin around occurred in her mind as she tilted her head back, rotating on the balls of her feet, her eyes set solidly on the clear blue skies above. Her tie dye shirt skimmed along her stomach, and she felt the gentle breeze shift through the multitude of rips in her black skinny jeans.
Macey felt happiness and glee. In this moment, she felt like her dreams were finally coming true, and her goals to drift away from her past were successful.
A pang of agony echoed in her heart. 'We love you so much,' she remembered her foster mother saying, recollecting the giant loving smile the woman was well known for, Macey felt heat float against her cheeks. The words were comforting and it gave her a sense of meaning and determination.
She then halted before her first lecture. Her hands developed a cold sweat. The tattoos along her body had a light sheen against the crystal light that hovered above her. She gulped and twisted the adornments across her arm in a state of nervousness and tossed her long curly hair back behind her shoulders.
Macey took a deep breath in. "I'm ready," she exclaimed to herself. "Whatever this institute throws at me — I'll take it on, full steam ahead."
She surveyed the long stony stairwell before her, trudging down tensely with her hands fidgeting against one another. An icy chill crept up her spine, her honey coloured eyes reflecting off the waters that spiralled above her. She felt a subtle gust of wind brush along her freckle covered cheeks as she stood in the centre of her lecture hall, stifling her gasp with the palm of her hand.
"Wow," said Macey, examining the swirling gales that surrounded her.
The entire lecture hall was submerged underwater with a thin layer of wind magic keeping the furious rushing waters from crashing down onto the marble floor beneath her feet. As she walked more into the room, she watched the cerulean light above her drown away her very shadow, with the other students around her being engulfed in its brightness. The hum of everyone around her echoed in her ear, with accents such as Brextian, Spectia and even Metzia.
"Look," said a student. They pointed at Macey, who pouted at the wary person, their stares directly towards the birthmark on her neck.
Many thoughts entangled her mind. She began to regret not covering her obvious mark with a scarf, or dabbing it with makeup. 'Another tattoo would have been cool,' she thought, running her thumb over the multitude of body art she had collected over the years. She listened carefully. The way everyone began to speak about her and the god like powers she held or the fact that she could obliterate anyone with the flick of her fingers made her want to leave.
She couldn't help but groan, rolling her eyes in disgust, folding her arms across her chest in frustration. 'The moon mage defeats Macey once again.'
Just when she was about to tell everyone to sod off, an intense low growl sound resonated before her. Silenced beckoned the students. All their voices became nothing but murmurs.
Macey raised her brow in curiosity, her gaze set solidly on the marble floor beneath her. "I know that sound," she exclaimed, scanning the area for the beastly familiar. She knew exactly what kind of creature it was, creasing her face in fickleness as she couldn't quiet nail what species it could be.
"Panther? No the sound was too low. Leopard?"
She then raised her head. Her eyes widened in amazement, becoming slack jaw at the magnificent creature before her.
No means of sound echoed when it's paws hit the stony floor, showcasing a pure grace only this beast could portray. It's coat was a luxurious stone-white, almost appearing like a diamond in the evening sunset. Power ebbed in its large muscles as it slowly pursued its way towards Macey, the most prominent being its jaw and the gigantic teeth that jutted out the side of its mouth.
"A sabertooth," she said, lowering down slowly to its height, extending her hand outward.
She listened to both the subtle purs of this feline and also the mutters of doubt that the others were saying.
"It's okay," she whispered, softly touching the top of its head. "I mean you no harm." It's fur felt coarse against her fingertips as she glided her hand across its forehead. For a beast well known for its unpredictable temperament, Macey could tell from the way it cuffed that it was a content, docile creature.
"Marvillia..."
A round of applause echoed in the large underwater room, creating a thick silence to linger about. She turned her head and watched the tiger retreat towards the shadows, brushing itself up against one ladies leg playfully.
"Marvillia?" Macey confusingly muttered. She pouted and brooded, knowing that her accent was Specia, a race of people brought up in the coldest mountain villages of Amberguarde. But she didn't know the actual word, confused as she tried to decipher it.
The woman smiled. "It means marvellous," she said, cupping her hands together in front of her legs. Macey stifled a gasp, observing her intense violet eyes that glinted in the light. "But, then again," she paused and placed her well manicured nails on her incredibly strong jawline. "I wasn't expecting anything less from the magcia incelunar."
Macey watched as this woman sauntered around the room. She looked on as the dark blue trench coat swayed with her curvaceous body, hugging at her hips and emphasising her chest. Her black stiletto high boots tapped along the floor, with her flawless ebony skin mirroring off the water's reflection.
The woman tucked her platinum blonde hair behind her ear. "My word," she stated, surveying every student present. "I can see much talent in this very room." She nodded. "Welcome everyone." The lady then tucked her hands behind her back, with the tiger laying down at her feet. "My name is Hazel Meridian, water masters at Grendilton and professor in companions magics."
Macey stood with the rest of the class. She watched the professor linger about, answering questions from other peers, stroking the neck of her familiar. She furrowed her brow. The importance of a professor was well known. It was always someone who wasn't of educational purpose but one who was merely a guide towards the masteries and citadel of magics. As she stared at the professor, she wondered how harsh she would be.
"Such a thrill," Hazel sang, her radiant grin stretching from ear to ear. "I've been looking forward to returning to Grendilton all year to teach the likes of you all the purpose of becoming your desired masteries. One could say, I was getting rather bornecia at home."
The professor laughed. "Now then."
Hazel extended her arm upward. A hex in the shape of a teardrop emerged in the palm of her hand. The mere sound of skin sizzling echoed loudly in Macey's ear. The waters above her began to shift, rapidly pushing against the wind magic that halted the possibilities of a flood happening. It pushed and pulled, causing some of the other students to gasp in fear.
"This is your first challenge." Hazel then paced about and tucked her short platinum blonde hair behind her ear. "In order to become a member of the citadel, one must look danger in the eyes with little to no signs of fear. Standing against something you know you can't control can bring forth ellocentia, or uncertainty. This is what the founders of light faced ten thousand years ago, when magic was questioned and their hope was diminished."
Macey became downcast. The tale about the birth of the citadel was one she was told time and time again. It was the darkest chapter of their entire history, and brought forth the light Amberguarde prayed for in a desperate attempt to claim what was right. However, the story always ended in the same way — everyone relied on the saviours. Her hands clenched together tightly, and her lips were pressed against one another. She felt her eyes well up but looked at the professor with apprehension.
The professor smirked. "Perhaps," she said, shifting her gaze amongst the rest of the students. "In the midst of you all . . . I have myself, another Michael Heslington."
Murmurs quickly filled the lecture halls. Coy remarks were made by nearby lightning mages, with one of them twirling a piece of hair with her finger. A couple of ice sages behind her whispered about the legendary man himself, speaking of all the wonderful things he had done for the citadel.
Macey crossed her arms in anger and sneered. "He can bite my ass," she whispered, remembering the hardship this man's family had brought towards her own.
'He's so dreamy,' she remembered the women of her hometown Resnibolt always told her, rolling her eyes when they mentioned things she was too young and naive to understand. To Macey, it's all she heard. How the man was the reincarnation of a god, and that he was the answer for everlasting peace in the world.
But for her, this man was anything but a hero.
"As the waters begin to gyrate, you must learn to adapt and control something that causes fear." Hazel then snapped her fingers, creating a large rip to emerge in the breezy walls. "It is an indication that you are human. But also that you are able to protect those who cannot stand up for themselves . . . Even if you're scared."
But Macey knew these words well. She was told that, all heroes hold at least one of these broken words within themselves. It was something every sage and mage had when not only their magic dwindled down to nothing, but also hope and the will to continue to fight for something that doesn't seem worthy anymore.
Knocking Macey away from her daydreams was Hazel, who summoned a silver scroll to appear and float before her. The crashing of waters began to become torrential. Macey was beginning to wonder if the thin layers of magic were going to be able to hold.
"The creatures you face in the real world won't be your only hurdles," said the professor, gripping onto the scroll as she walked back and forth in front of the students. "Sometimes, even your own mind can fool you to separate fiction from reality."
It was all too familiar for Macey, who couldn't help but flinch at Hazel's words. Her eyes lingered over to the other students and she began to wonder if they also began to have some doubts about their insecurities.
"One by one, you shall all show me your magical capabilities by halting my magic from breaking the walls." Hazel then smiled, which didn't make Macey feel any sort of comfort or reassurance that she will be fine.
"So, who's first?"
No one stepped forward. Many of them, including Macey who gripped her hands together and began to quiver, were also shaken with fear. Perhaps it was the thrashing of powerful waters that got to her, or perhaps it was the way Hazel worded her potential doom.
Silence was the professor's answer. "Don't worry," she laughed, stroking her familiar's head. "If anything were to get out of control, as water masters, I shall step in and intervene. You are all completely safe."
Macey felt her stomach clench in precariousness. She fiddled with her fingers anxiously, looking over the rest of the students curiously. When no one else muttered a word or kept in the shadows of the class, she took a bold step towards Hazel, glaring at her dark violet eyes.
"I'll go first."
All means of sounds were gone. The cerulean crystal light now only hovered in a small space before Macey, drowning out everyone else in the room, their bodies becoming nothing but dark still silhouettes.
She tilted her head back, catching the powerful eyes of the professor and her familiar. Hazel pinched at her chin, her head tilting to the side a bit. Every action the professor did made her nervous and uncomfortable.
Overcome your doubt, Macey told herself, peering at the waters, closing her eyes and beginning to place herself in a comforting state of mind. She took a slow deep breath in, held it for a second then let it drift out of her mouth quickly. "I'm ready," she said, as she watched the professor becoming dowsed in a thick pool of smoke.
A rumbling sound emerged. The waters above her began to twist and turn.
Maceys eyes widened, her jaw dropping down in shock. Before her eyes was a maelstrom, one that was beginning to misshape the light and magic that hovered above her.
Sweat developed on her forehead. Her pulse thrashed about like the waters that were slowly ripping away at the delicate walls that kept her safe. Before her very eyes, she felt her vision becoming blurred, unable to comprehend the nightmare that was before her.
You can do this, said a voice in Maceys head. It was so soft and pure and it created an image of her mother's smiling face to appear before her hazy eyes.
I believe in you.
A stiff breeze shuffled along her shoes, creating frost on her laces. Tendrils of water climbed her body, the burning sensation summoning magic began to inflame and tear at her skin. Shoots of liquid shot from her fingers and cracked through the delicate wind magic that held the waters, piercing the seething maelstrom. It entered the wrathful magic like a bullet as she desperately tried to calm the waters by twisting the storm with her own.
It was a foolproof plan — in her mind. But against the likes of a water master, Macey began to doubt her efforts.
She began to watch the wind magic around her beginning to crack, watching small drops of water leak from the fissure, crashing down heavily onto the marble floor.
What the hell, thought Macey, clenching her teeth, pursing her lips in a worrisome matter. Perhaps she was summoning it incorrectly, or perhaps water magic wasn't the right option to use in this test.
Or maybe, you're not strong enough.
Doubt grabbed her by the throat. She felt her focus dwindling down to nothing, her heart feeling as if something was wrapping their clutches around it. Her hands began to quiver, with her long strands of magic desecrating into flimsy drops of liquid.
One by one — dark intentions ravaged Macey's thoughts.
Maybe you should give up, said one voice as she shook her head, digging her fingertips into her temples.
You're no hero, echoed another, her eyes welled up with tears and her lip shivered in disgust.
You can't be one, and you never will become one.
The air in Macey's lungs felt heavy, almost unbearable and painful. She listened to the water beginning to crack through the wind, rising up to the bottom of her ankles. Her arms wrapped around herself and her legs gave out due to the heavy extent of her mental breakdown. She kneeled down in disappointment then covered her head and sobbed. "I can't do this."
She wanted to pass. There was nothing in the world that Macey wanted more than to be a successful student at the most prestigious institute in all of Amberguarde.
Hope felt futile ... but she felt determination lingering around her.
'Remember my love ... keep our memory shining. Even in your darkest moments.'
There was something calming about the cerulean light that circulated in the briny depths before her. It reminded Macey of two things. One, that this storm before her harbours a silver lining.
She just needed to find it.
Her fists balled together as she rose to her feet and grinned. "I'm the god damn moon mage," she roared. "I will pass this test!"
Her dark tan skin then glowed white, the tattoos across her body turning into a dark ominous jet black. The gravity around her felt dense, with such magic beginning to distort not only the water, but the wind magic that held it all together. Rays of light cut through the water. It twisted the maelstrom, morphed it into a steady stream that was gyrating itself into something more calming. Her body began to ache. Fatigue trifled her limbs and her bones felt like they were about to break under the powerful potency present in the room.
This was the work of lunar energy — magic that only Macey herself could conjure.
She began to hover in the air. A relentless surge of energy thrashed across the marble floors, cracking at a few tiles. Like a waterfall, a billowing collection of light gathered the maelstrom. It rolled against Hazels magic then twisted it like a surfer against the powerful ocean currents during a full moon. An outpouring pain flowed through her veins while the waters became calm. Although her eyes were on the storm before her, in the corner of them, she could see strips of flesh beginning to tear.
I need to wrap this up. She flicked her wrists back. Her lunar energy began to redirect the water's current. Hexes in both a moon shape and a teardrop appeared in the watery depths, creating a new flow to circulate before her.
The waters were finally calm again and the black hazy smoke that Macey had forgotten about disappeared.
She sighed loudly. "It's over," she said, bending over in exhaustion, brushing her hair over her shoulder. Her skin began to return back to a tan complexion, with her eyes scanning the star struck students before her. Everyone began to stare at her in awe , their eyes sparkling with glee and aspiration. Macey was unknown about the fact that they all saw what went on but she was relieved that the test was over.
But now, she became anxious about her results.
"Well done," said Hazel, giving Macey a round of applause, letting the scroll she held drift off into the air. "It wasn't the most graceful test I've seen, but I have come across worse."
Macey streaked her arm across her sweaty forehead, wiping away drops of sweat from her head. "Did I pass?" she asked, eyeing up the grinning professor.
"See for yourself," Hazel replied, letting the scroll float towards her.
Macey had this unsteady feeling in her hands, unable to stop herself from moving while she gripped onto the paper. She surveyed the results, creasing her face in total disbelief. "Wait a minute," she muttered, lingering her gaze towards the professor. "I don't understand? I . . ."
She began to blink crazily, scratching the back of her head in confusion. She turned the paper upside down and sideways, thinking that would change her results.
Am I reading this, right? Did I — did I achieve this?
Hazel smiled. "Many fail this before they even begin." Her sabertooth familiar then swivelled past her legs, and retreated towards the professor. "But you . . . You were calm and collective before the test even started, and I didn't have to volunteer a person. You stood before me. You are not perfect, as it's evident that you harbour darkness in your mind."
The darkness in my mind? She thought, twisting her fingers against one another.
The professor nodded. "I have seen the happiness within you when you interacted with Nero — my familiar. You also showcased determination of some sort when I had mentioned Michael Heslington. Yes, you did break down in the depths of darkness . . . However, just like our ancestors, you prevailed."
Hazel then elegantly sauntered to Macey's side. "Also," she murmured, looking down at the wounds her lunar energy inflicted on her. "You need to get a good grasp on your magic. You barely had a control of it back there."
She pursed her lips, gliding her free hand along her wounds before she let out a gasp. "So, during this test," asked Macey, watching Hazel pat Nero's spine.
"The darkness stammered you immensely," said Hazel. "But . . . You were able to see past your mistakes and learnt that, there is another way of stopping the danger — I've only ever seen that sort of stuupidia, in one other student."
"Michael," murmured Macey. "Which means..."
Hazel then began to clap. "Congratulations Macey Russells. Not only have you completed your very first test here at Grendilton — but you are also a five attribute of light. A title that the founders of light carried with them when times got extremely tough."
The room filled with gasps and applause, with the odd student coming up to her and shaking her hand. She liked the attention from the achievements she conjured, making her heart flutter and her smile stretch from ear to ear.
But, she knew that this was only the beginning. Macey had a long way to go.
"Congratulations," said Hazel, giving off a small bow. "I look forward to teaching you."
Even Nero gave his condolences, brushing up against her leg, making her remember one important information. One about her very own familiar that she had gained a few months back.
"Professor," she said, hesitantly lowering her head down. She watched Hazel furrow her brow, standing there in silence as Macey finally said her answer.
"It's about my familiar."