In the beginning, things were magical, almost like a dream. Under Professor Zalchi's tutelage, I was able to better understand my powers and even study some books he made in symbols. These books seemed simple, almost like regular books, but meant for the "magical" class. As his only student with powers similar to his own, I was spoiled. As I learned, my memories became clearer, and though they were still not enough to take me to that golden world, they helped me perform the incantations faster. I could even feel the book inside me tremble at times.
I progressed very quickly, and in less than three days, I could enchant an item without needing to look for a symbol. The professor said my energy and knowledge were strong enough to attract the symbols, and as long as I learned some incantations from him, I would be very powerful in the future. Marlon was very happy with my achievements and promised to teach me how to fight. The people who lived in the compound were very nice, at least to a point—only a few looked at me strangely, but Marlon dealt with them. I was very happy; every day I learned new things and spent time with Marlon walking around the clan city, trying their different foods.
The children—now my classmates—came to visit after the second time, of course with the professor's approval, but as his favorite student, he always gave in. But after a while, he lost patience.
Unfortunately, not everything is perfect. Marlon became strange, distant. He grew more demanding, and even though I tried everything to advance in other incantations, I couldn't get any results. The professor also began treating me differently, not letting me interact with almost anyone, forbidding the boys from getting close, and even giving suspicious looks. He threatened to expel me from the clan if I didn't make progress, and even after seeing my difficulties, that old man didn't help me. I think he brainwashed Marlon at some point, because he always called him to talk, and they spent hours together before Marlon came back, visibly tired and looking at me strangely. But I don't have much proof of that, aside from this.
Which, well, probably led us to the current situation. Zalchi explained everything to Marlon, who initially resisted and threatened to run away with Nicolas, but eventually, he was convinced by the duty to protect the clan, firmly stating that the boy was a potential threat. It was all based on jealousy, despite not being able to advance in his studies or learn other incantations, Nicolas had a very precise control of the incantations, surpassing even Zalchi himself. Even after so long, Zalchi couldn't uncover the secret behind the boy's power, and he decided to get rid of him to avoid potential problems in the future.
Marlon was called to appear before the clan leaders and was assigned a high-level mission: get rid of the boy, and there was nothing he could do to avoid it. "A nail that sticks out gets hammered down," that phrase floated in his mind as he walked across the courtyard toward his house, where he lived with Nicolas.
Under the pretext of exploring an ancient ruin, he convinced Nicolas to go to a desert, a few kilometers away from the clan. Marlon was unsure about what to do, but he remembered everything the clan had done for him, what his professor sacrificed to raise him, what his friends and the children he treated like family would think if he faltered now. And with great sorrow, after a few days, while they were exploring, Nicolas crouched down, curiously examining a branch of some plant that looked like aloe, but was dry to the touch and had a whitish color. Marlon called him to test his abilities, as usual. Nicolas placed the plant inside his bag in a little pouch and followed Marlon.
.
.
.
"Then you're useless. If you can't improve, why should you stay in the clan?" Marlon says, stepping closer, stopping just inches away from me, his eyes locked onto mine.
"Y-you promised, you p-promised..." Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What the hell did that bastard do to my friend's mind? If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have cared, but it was Marlon. He helped me so much, I can't even imagine how I would have lasted this long.It was hard and unbearable to hear. Why is he doing this to me? This wasn't the Marlon I knew...
"The professor said that although you've awakened reactions from nature, it doesn't mean you have talent. Not everyone can cultivate their abilities just because they have them. There's also the possibility that you're a spy from another clan, without him."
"Yes, yes, I promised. But I promised to a genius, not to trash like you." He said it as if repeating something he had read in a book, and I could hear the same tone his professor used in those words.
"H-he's lying! How could I be a spy if I've been with you all this time?! Even my abilities were awakened with your help. After everything we've been through together, how can you say I'm a spy? You know what? I was going to stay quiet in my corner, but this is the last straw. Since we got here, you've been different, you're not the same smiling but reserved Marlon from before. Now it seems like you don't think for yourself, only quoting the words of your damn professor and not a single one that's 100% yours. Dude, I don't know what the hell is going on with you, but please, I'm worried. I'm here for you, just like you were for me before..." I vented, unable to take it anymore, and started crying, pouring out all my frustrations while pounding my fists against his chest. He just stood there, silent, letting me punch him without resistance. As my adrenaline began to wear off, I lost my courage. My hands that had been hitting his chest were grabbed, and I looked up just to see some lines of tears streaming from his eyes, which seemed to want to say something, but couldn't.
"You don't understand. You're too young to understand everything, kid. All this time... you were supposed to be dead." When he said this, it shocked me, and before I could react, he punched me in the chest, sending me flying several meters ahead. I got up, putting my hand on my chest when I ended up vomiting blood and the remnants of some undigested food on the ground. Marlon approached and punched me again, throwing me even farther, and this time breaking a rib, blood pouring from my mouth.
"W-why?" I asked with my last strength. My whole body hurt, I felt my lungs filling with blood and it dripping from my nose.
"You wouldn't understand, kid. There's no point explaining to a dead man." His eyes closed as his skin turned blue, then purple, darkening. Up until this point, he hadn't used his ability and only relied on his monstrous brute strength. His eyes opened again, but they were dark and empty, devoid of emotion. With every step he took, the ground cracked as if unable to bear his weight. I tried to crawl away, but as soon as I managed to move a few meters, I spat blood. He was so red and focused that for a moment, I saw a purple spark dancing as it traveled between the droplets, but I think it was just my mind playing tricks on me. The blood flow continued and started sucking the air from my lungs.
Marlon walked until he stopped next to Nicolas. He furrowed his brow at the blood on the ground. It seemed like his ability had advanced again. He grabbed Nicolas by the collar and could see the suffering on his face as their eyes locked. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head, trying to rid himself of those thoughts. His fist clenched, gathering all his strength, and his color drained, forming what seemed to be his strongest power: black. His hand lightly struck Nicolas' chest, which would have sent him flying if Marlon hadn't been holding him. His chest caved in, and blood streamed from his eyes. Nicolas had a seizure, and his brain, trying to protect him, induced a coma.
Marlon, who was preparing to deliver the final blow, felt his heart twist at the sight of his friend's condition. But there was no turning back now, he couldn't forgive himself if he let his friend live as a paralytic or even suffer a slow and painful death. Using all of his power, his hand began to twist at strange angles and showed signs of cracking; he couldn't withstand the force of his own power.
When his attack landed again on Nicolas's body, the force was so great that, although it appeared fine on the surface, his internal organs were instantly pulverized. The force passed through him like a black beam, destroying half of the mountain and obliterating the ecosystem there for hundreds of meters. Marlon still held Nicolas's hanging body, his eyes streaming with heavy tears that traveled down his face and fell to the ground. Before his eyes, Nicolas began to disintegrate, turning to dust and disappearing in the wind, becoming yet another sweet memory for Marlon.
"This is all my fault. I couldn't protect him. I hope he can forgive me, wherever he is." He knelt where the blood droplets had fallen, took some of them, and placed them inside a pendant, then tucked it back into his pocket. "May God forgive my insolence." He stood up, wiped the tears from his red eyes, and returned to his clan's domain without looking back. But deep inside him, a seed of discord and pain had been planted, and over time, it would bear horrible fruit.
The winds from the east swept across the desert. The heat cooled, bringing relief to the desert nomads. As the night fell, animals emerged from their burrows in search of opportunities. A small pale spider crawled out of its hole. Its bristles stood on end against the wind, and its fangs were sniffing for food. Its hairs tensed, and its pairs of eyes gleamed when it saw a sea of blood on the ground. As it approached, it noticed the corpses of animals, which had shared the same goal as it. However, it ignored them, thinking of them as a bunch of weaklings. After all, it carried a potent venom and not just that, but it had one of the deadliest bites in the world. What did it have to fear? The moonlight above gleamed on the blood drop. Eager to taste it, as if it were being called to do so, the spider didn't notice the tangle of purple threads in the blood. As it extended its claws to pick up a drop of blood, it fell to the ground lifeless. It happened so quickly that there was no time to react. Anyone from the outside would just see a spider trying to grab a drop of blood and then stop moving and fall to the ground already lifeless. But if one looked closely at the moment it touched the blood, they would see that the tangle attacked the spider, penetrating its defenses with extreme ease and killing it instantly, evaporating its brain. The place returned to its usual calm, although some animals, tempted by the blood, came close only to be killed instantly. It would be extremely shocking if someone looked at the scene: hundreds, perhaps thousands of animal bodies, creating a perfect circle around a simple puddle of blood.
Time passed, and the drops of blood scattered around began to shine. As animals were attracted by the carcasses and the blood, it created a constant food source for the drops, and their reach expanded; what was once only a few centimeters became meters. Any animal within 2 meters of the drops was instantly vaporized, and those within 4 or 5 meters were electrocuted until they were injured and numb, serving as channels for other animals.
Then, one day, when the drops of blood were so red and emanating vitality that the desert ground began to bloom, the skies opened. A powerful force swept across the clouds and made the sun reflect off the blood drops. An ancient voice declared, "The mage must not perish... not yet..." Then, miraculously, as if they had been waiting for this moment, the drops of blood began to float, releasing the energy they had been accumulating all this time. At first, they were only sparks, but as the energy increased, the sparks thickened until they became as thick as a plastic cup. The pressure released by the energy was so great that even some people who were exploring miles away felt it and thought it was some beast of light or darkness fighting for dominance, so they decided not to approach for now.
The process didn't take long. In less than a day, the blood had successfully fused, and the electric arcs formed what seemed to be a human silhouette. Another day passed, and the silhouette was fully formed. Nicolas appeared the same as before, but now he emitted a purer, almost sacred aura.
Opening his eyes, Nicolas looked around in surprise. Had he died? Then why was he still alive? At first, he thought it was a dream, but as the memories came flooding back, he could clearly tell it wasn't a dream and that he had indeed died. He looked at his body and noticed some symbols on his skin that disappeared after a few seconds. Thinking of something, he tried to remember how he had gained his ability. Whenever he tried before, even though he had experienced it twice, it was still very hard to advance, but now, merely thinking about it brought the memory back, and it not only seemed more true but he could also read the titles of the books and the symbols that seemed alive as they followed their paths in the library. Nicolas filled with joy, just as Marlon had said. When one advances in their abilities, they could better remember how they obtained them, the more realistic it was, the better, as it meant a higher level of understanding. But his happiness didn't last long, as he remembered how he had been coldly killed by one of the people he had trusted most.
His expression became melancholic for a while, but it was quickly overcome by surprise when he realized he could even reproduce one of the sharpening symbols – an inverted "v" – twice in the same spot. He grabbed one of the books titled "Sharpening for Beginners" from the basic-level shelf.