Rated 12+ for fantasy and violence.
When Magic’s voice had died down within her mind, she was frozen, unable to think, move, or even choose an emotion. She felt like she had the day Darell died—unable to feel.
And then it hit her, like a ton of bricks. Darell was dead. He wasn’t off hunting or finding the path to a new city. He was gone, and he wouldn’t come back. He’d never walk in, grinning, he’d never soothe her tears. He’d never crack another joke, he’d never get into another argument. He’d never hug her, he’d never kiss her again. Never. Never again.
She had woken up.
Just the word ‘never’ seemed to break her, until her devastation forced her to think more. The way he looked at her . . . that dazed, confused, yet completely and utterly in love look he had always cast her way . . . that would never brighten his eyes again. No—his eyes were dull, rolled back into his lifeless head in some forest somewhere. Some forest somewhere . . . Anna didn’t even know where.
She didn’t even know where . . .
Without realizing or knowing what she was doing, Anna crumbled to the ground and began to sob. She felt Magic in her mind, her gentle touching, the only thing that told her she hadn’t yet left. She sensed Magic considering leaving, the touch fading—she wanted to pull her back but didn’t know how, but Magic somehow knew this and immediately came back.
As Anna cried, she tried to figure out what was happening, but she couldn’t sort out her thoughts. They all jumbled together uselessly in her mind. She was about to give up, let herself be cast into confusion, when she felt Magic help her begin to understand. She couldn’t exactly describe the feeling, for it wasn’t exactly describable. It felt like the sight of a person helping her with a puzzle. It felt like fire being quenched by rain. It felt like . . . a friend.
Things slowly began to make sense. Anna asked Magic a question, until realizing she wasn’t sure what she said. She took a few deep breaths, then tried again, this time thinking. “How . . . how long ago . . . did he . . .?”
‘Five days ago exactly.’
Five days. Darell had been gone for five days, and nobody had even missed him until now. Nobody had even truly understood until now. Anna still didn’t understand.
Darell didn’t have anyone left to miss him. His father was dead, his mother long forgotten. Nobody knew that Darell was dead. Nobody, except for Anna and a select few, even knew of his existence. Nobody had known about him, but he had been a crucial part of the entire balance of the world. He had been the one chosen to save it. And now he was gone.
So Anna cried. She cried for everyone in the world, whom needed him so desperately but didn’t even know about him. She cried for all the children, all the parents, all the teenagers, all the people. She cried for Darell, and the pain he felt leaving. And, admittedly, she cried for herself. It was such a selfish thing to do. She cried because she no longer had Darell in her life, she cried because she now had Magic and she was the one chosen to save the world, she cried because she was alone, and, for probably the first time since she was nine, she cried just because she was scared.
It suddenly occurred to Anna that Sympa and the others could hear her. Even as she thought this, she realized that she didn’t mind at all. Let Sympa hear her, let Sympa listen in depression to her desperate sobs. She didn’t care anymore. She didn’t care at all anymore!
Or . . . at least that’s what she told herself.
It would be many hours before her tears died down. Sitting up, she wiped her face with the back of her hand bitterly. Though the tears had stopped, the pain hadn’t. She couldn’t be completely sure it ever would.
It was then that the world danced before her eyes, and Magic groaned. Anna was shocked at the sound, for it sounded oddly and awkwardly discordant in her bell-like voice.
‘Would you mind stop going dizzy? It’s really quite bothersome.’
Usually Anna would have been annoyed, yet today, she smiled.
I would if I could. I’ve never had this problem until . . . Anna couldn’t even think the words ‘the day Darell died,’ but Magic knew.
‘Oh. Right. Sorry.’
Sorry?
‘It’s my fault. When I transferred into your body, I sort of messed up your mind. I pushed all your information to one side so I could fit in your brain. Sometimes people’s brains are too . . . I mean . . .’ It seemed like she was struggling to say it in a non-offensive way. ‘. . . Sometimes headaches occur.’
Anna didn’t answer, because frankly, she didn’t care anymore. She had cried all her emotions out, again feeling quite worn-down and tired.
Magic?
‘Yeah?’
I’m tired. I’m so, so tired.
‘I know. But you’ve been out for a few hours.’
D’you think Sympa will mind if I fall asleep?
‘If she does, we’ll just yell at her later.’
Anna yawned, stretching out on the ground, resting her head against the scratchy dead grass of the plains. She realized, almost with a start, that she didn't quite realize how she was sweet and understanding one second and threatening to yell at a person another second.
I still don’t quite understand your personality.
‘My personality, unfortunately, changes from whichever person I go to. I’m not the same as when I was when I was in . . .’ She didn’t say ‘Darell’s mind,’ but Anna knew she was about to.
Right. Who are you now?
‘That’s a broad question. And people answer it in so little words.’
Change that, then. Who are you?
‘I’m not quite sure yet. I keep deferring to your personality because it feels that I don’t have one yet.’
But you do. Everyone has a personality, right?
‘Well . . . yes and no. I do have a personality. I just have to meet myself. Imagine if one day you woke up with a totally different personality and a totally different body--. . .’
Body? I thought you were in my mind, not my body!
‘Well, I don’t control your body or anything, it’s just . . . well . . . you know.’
Not really. Anna wrapped a piece of the dry grass around her fingers.
‘It’s hard to explain.’
Start trying.
‘I’m more like . . .’ Magic paused, as if trying to find words in her memory that didn’t exist. ‘I’m more like a spirit.’
A spirit?
‘Well, for lack of a better word, yes.’
What do you mean, a ‘spirit’?
‘Well, frankly, my name says it all. I’m your powers condensed into an intelligent energy source.’ There was a pause in which Magic still groped for words, then finally realized, with a start, ‘You don’t know the history of Magicals, do you?’
Anna looked up, thinking back. Thinking back to those days with Darell, when they had so mindlessly sat around talking about random things that never quite made sense. Finally, with a frown of frustration, Anna could not find any mention that related to history about Magic or Magicals. Sure, they occasionally talked about it, because it had impacted their lives in such a huge way, but never did they talk about where it originated from.
No. I guess I don’t.
‘Well, that won’t do.’
Then tell me it.
‘I thought you were tired.’
Eh. She was, but she was more interested than tired. Perhaps it’ll make a good lullaby.
Anna was sure that if she could see Magic’s face, she’d be inspecting her in an incredulous way. ‘It gets sort of bloody near the end.’
Just the way I like my lullabies. Anna couldn’t help grinning at the way she felt Magic cringe. Well, go on then! Tell me!
‘Right . . .’ Magic took a moment to collect herself, then asked in a very perspicacious voice, ‘Would you like me to tell you or show you?’
You come with pictures too? Anna tried to sound as sarcastically excited as possible. Show me it, show me it!
No sooner had she thought the words than did the world disappear in an overhanging cloud of darkness. This time, however, it felt so much different than it had before. Actually, no . . . that was the problem. It didn’t feel.
She no longer felt the grass below her, no longer felt the heat of the night press softly against her neck. She didn’t even feel the darkness. She reached out to touch herself and didn’t feel her hand against her flesh. She opened her mouth and screamed, not out of fear, but just to test it, and as she had dreaded, she could not hear her own voice. She waited for panic to come, but apparently she didn’t have her emotions either.
‘It’s okay, you’re okay, everything’s okay,’ Magic’s voice swooped to the rescue. ‘Just watch.’
Slowly but surely, sunlight began to trickle from the ceiling, revealing a very light forest next to a shallow murmuring river that winded around smooth rocks serenely. For a heart stopping moment, Anna suspected it was the forest where Darell had died, but quickly noticed why it couldn’t be—the leaves were not green, but a stunning gold, the trees were much too far apart, there was a river, and the trunks of the topiary were thick, indicating old age.
Part 2
