1 Chapter I

Magnus always knew there was something else for him. Something that differed him to other people. All of them, friends, psychiatrists, therapists, counsellors, and the lot. They all thought it all came down to him having a mental problem. Especially considering the things that he'd been through. And maybe it was so. Magnus wouldn't let that stop him anyhow. One day, he knew, just knew, that one day, he, Magnus would be chosen. One day, he would go to the academy, and he would gain a place up there.

Not as an apparition though, but as a higher power.

It was all Magnus had ever wanted in his life. He hadn't anything left to lose anyway.

"You're at it again Magnus, stop staring out at space, what are you going to do? Use your 'godly' powers to bring your parents back?" He sighed and turned around. Magnus wasn't staring at space, actually, but at the woods beyond. Beyond the woods, was a world of magic. Beyond the woods was where he truly belonged. Beyond the woods was a city, a world. One where Magnus could be himself, where he could find his secrets the lord had placed within him.

Magnus would find purpose...

"If you're such a 'god' couldn't you just teleport to that metropolis that show you how to do 'magic'?" she scoffed, bringing him back to where he was, an orphanage, without parents. An orphanage that shouldn't even still be there, the government had shut it down years ago, or so they thought. He hated when Persephone used big words like that. Metropolis, couldn't she just use city or something?

"I don't know, how do you even know if the place is real? It's just a legend to scare children away, from the forest. I have no idea why the concept of being abducted by a group of 'living shadows' and taken away to a place where logic and everything else is upside down, would appear appealing to you." But Magnus knew that the city was real alright, it was just that feeling of knowing something, feeling it there, but you just can't give proof. Oh well, just wait until he came back here, when he descended from heaven and increased the villages money by tenfold. What would she say to him then?

"Well Persephone, I don't know what would be so appealing about wasting your life sitting behind an office, eyes glued to computer screen all day, earning no more than 20 dollars an hour" Magnus shut the blinds taking one last glance at the woods, soon it would be his turn.

"Twenty dollars an hour is good enough! It's over the national average of 18 dollars! Well, better than earning nothing because that's how much you'll be earning all your life if you don't drop magic and start working." Persephone frowned at him, pouted then turned around, red hair cascading down like a river of fire over the sheets of the bed.

Magnus could hear the faint hissing of the matron from across the hallway 'Lights out' There was something always wrong about that lady, the way that she hissed all the time, the way that she was inhumanely attracted the murdering and injuring of not only children, but also adults. Her nails seemed to reek of dead and rancid things, but the most demonic thing about the woman was her skin. It clung to her in clumps, while in other times, it sagged so low. The other gruelling thing about her skin was the colour, it was clearly green yet whenever he told Persephone, she said there was nothing wrong about the demon-woman, she was just a charitable old senior that took care of children who had nobody to look after them. Everything about her was wrong, yet she was still accepted in the community.

Every morning, she would read the newspaper, usual, however it wasn't anything like the Sydney Herald, or the Washington Post. It was from nowhere Magnus had ever known before. About a million times he'd tried looking up the name of the place, but to no avail. Heck, the news in there wasn't even real news, he'd taken a few glimpses of the pictures one day, the caption was something like 'Illyne Valourus exiled for founding the Mons follower group'. And Magnus didn't want to ramble on about how grisly the lady was, but the absurd thing was that the lady was like a mother protecting her child (not that she had any children) when it came to people looking at her newspaper. She would go to all extents even physically hitting children (including him) to guard her newspaper.

Click!

Magnus was brought out of his world of thoughts just as the world plunged into darkness. Urgh. Persephone had a way of doing that somehow, doing things all at the wrong moment, maybe it was just luck, or maybe she was just trying to annoy him.

"Goodnight magic boy"

"Goodnight office worker" Magnus swore he could hear the faint sound of Persephone mumble to herself in annoyance.

After what seemed like hours, Magnus officially decided that he couldn't sleep. He decided to climb up onto the rooftop, at least the air there was easier to breathe. He could say that he was... contemplating his life. Now with the light of the moon, blooming through the open sky, he could think, he wished he didn't though. His mind eventually drifted to his parents.

He'd never seen them before. But visions seemed to be coming to Magnus recently in his dreams. He wasn't sure what they all meant, but he was certain that the people in there were his parents. The vision that tugged on his mind the most tonight though was one of a young man.

He had the same raven blue/black hair as Magnus did, and also the silvery eyes as well. He was in an amphitheatre of some sorts. Judging marbles stared him down, almost making him feel small, a dark glass dome arched above the man, stars and the moon the only glowing source of silver light. The air was chilled, even though it was a vision Magnus shivered, not only from the cold but from the shadowy aura that radiated from this place, like this was a darkness that the light tried to hide.

A playful expression played on the man's face as he opened his fist with the grand flick of the wrist, as an actor would in a drama play, and the ring on his finger morphed into an axe of silver and gold. His eyes sparkled, it seemed that he was very happy about what he'd found. He swung his axe around, as he closed his eyes fire suddenly set his weapon alight.

Magnus squinted harder, it seemed that a rune of some sorts had been etched into the weapon and now it glowed a matching silver to the man's silver eyes. He raised the weapon with one hand and smashed all of the fire and bronze into the cold tiles. They remained emotionless, remaining impassive to the man's magic, all but a dent in one of the tiles.

The playful expression on the mans face faded away as the turned around. Slowly, it transformed into a face of horror and urgency. Suddenly, a band of swordsmen, about as old as the man himself appeared at the cavernous door.

He clenched his fist, as the axe transformed once more into his ring, as he threw the ring away, disappearing mid-air. It was hard to believe that the was the exact same man who just before, wore an expression of success. Grim faced he turned as the band with swords circled him, any one of them could end this man's life. Suddenly, a circlet of gold flew from the open doorway into the auditorium, right at the man, who clutched at his heart eyes open, wide in horror. Magnus reached out frantically at the man, trying to save him somehow.

Every single other time the man had fallen, Magnus' hand had gone right through him. But this time, Magnus' hand was grasped in return. He jumped back in shock, almost knocking him off the roof as his eyes unsealed in a frantic manner. There, gripping his hand, was a very real and alive shadow.

Random Question of the Chapter:

What's your favourite colour?

MA: Purple