I Have Magic! But at what cost…

Before Lance could say anything to Vicky she was already walking into the borders of the arena with the door shutting behind her. He immediately started kicking himself for being a bad friend. Vicky was scared and forced to fight some monster and here he was brooding over a failed idea. So what if he couldn't marry her? He'll just find some other way to be able to stick by her side.

After he was done kicking himself for being an idiot he started making sure that to put on a really reassuring face so that if she ever looks at him he'll be able to make her feel better. He thinks. He's hoping ok?

The trap door opens again and this time a large brown wolf walks out into the sunlight. It's the largest creature yet and by a good amount as well. It's tail brushed against the iron wall of the trapdoor but instead of being a muffled rubbing noise it's similar to the sound a blade makes. Not very reassuring.

Vicky visibly gulps but steadies herself pointing the twin daggers at the beast. After a while of simply staring at each other, the wolf lunges at Vicky with its jaw wide open, displaying the sharp blade like teeth inside. Vicky ducks out of the way and tries to stab it's neck with the blades but a terrible sound echo's through the arena.

It's as if the blade ran into a boulder instead of an actual animal. She quickly jumps back as it tries to wack her with its tail.

Unable to break through its fur, Vicky is forced to continually block or dodge the incoming attacks all the while Lance is forced to sit and watch.

-In Lance's mind-

Is this all I can do?

Can I really not help her at all?

No There's no way I'm just gonna sit here.

She's not gonna turn out like my family

Wait what?

Where did that come from?

Whatever I'll go help-

Just as he readies himself to get up and stop this he sees something. A scene that filled Lance with pure horror. Right in front of him was Vicky slowly bleeding out with the wolf holding her by the neck.

You can see Alf repeatedly flipping the switch with nothing happening before he rushes in there and swiftly grabs the wolf and crushes it's spine.

But it's took late. Vicky is still slowly bleeding out on the floor. The necklace of flowers she was wearing is ripped up and scattered around her which only makes it look more like a deathbed.

Lance was already rushing in as fast as he could, quickly followed by Vicky's parents. He's grabbing onto her while trying to talk to her but is barely managing due to him crying so much.

Lance: "Vicky?! Vicky come on you have to stay here! You said you had to go magic school right?! Come on you still owe me at least five year's y'know! Please Vicky I still need you! You can't go! I don't allow it! I WON'T allow it!"

He's hugging Vicky with all his strength when a miracle happens.

Vicky: "Hey your squeezing the life out of me over here"

Lance: "Vicky you're ok! How though?! Whatever I don't care! I'm glad your ok!"

As he looks at the wound on her neck, he says a fire floating over it and shrinking revealing her neck to be perfectly fine!

Vicky smiles playfully and speaks again in a sing-song type manner

Vicky: "looks like I unlocked my magic first, and I told you it was fire too! Totally called it! I don't know how but I felt something being unlocked really suddenly for some reason. It was really jarring but I'm glad!"

After that her mother and father rush over and push Lance away from her making him fall to the ground but they don't seem to care much and just start speaking.

Mrs. Vortis: "My baby! Are you alright dear? How dare you and your machine break! You almost killed my daughter! I swear to you my dear I will make sure to personally ruin this man-"

Vicky: "No mom it's ok! He couldn't have known that would happen. Besides, I got magic from it! And your shouting is sorta giving me a headache…"

Mrs. Vortis: " I apologize dear, thats probably caused by your adrenaline dissipating, let's go home and-"

Vicky: "No! I don't wanna go home yet, I still have to watch Lance's turn."

She looks at me and Mrs. Vortis turns and looks at me as well albeit a lot more coldly.

Mrs. Vortis: "Darling he's only the heir to a mid-sized noble family. I can't understand why you are so insistent to stay close to him. But alas you just experienced something awful so I will not be too hard on you at the moment, but you are still leaving to King Serreth's Magical Academy, now that you have such powerful healing magic it will be even easier and all the more necessary to train you there! Therefore I recommend you to cut off your ties soon so it hurts less."

And with that Mrs. Vortis grabs Vicky's hand and escorts here to the seats next to her. Her husband has said nothing this entire time and he looks exhausted or maybe burned out is more accurate.

With that Alf comes back out, with all the excitement no one even noticed his departure. He then begins explaining.

Alf: "My apologies for that scene, as it turns out the boulder wolf was not the specified animal meant to come out, their was a mistake in the releasing procedure as why the switch did not kill it. As everything has worked out we will now resume the festival, of course with a more heavily monitored procedure."

With that Lance get's prepared to leave the arena, only to be surprised to hear his name called.

He can't help but laugh at the convenience. Almost as if it's some sort of fantasy novel.

…

He then is handed a Halberd and the door closes sealing him in. The only thing on his mind is gaining magic.

Lance: "I can do this. If I gain magic I'll be able to try and stay with her. I just have to gain magic. I will not die to this!"

Nobody notices this, but for a second, his eyes glowed faintly. As the trapdoor opens, a large sickly green snake slithers out and stares at Lance. It's dead silent for about ten seconds. And then in similar fashion, the beast rushes forward with its fangs extended. This time though Lance doesn't dodge. He simply stands there almost in a daze. Alf is about to press the button when suddenly Lance takes a step forward and states in a cold simple tone.

"Move"

And as his foot falls on the ground a golden ripple flows out from it like when a leaf hits the surface of the water. His eyes once again glow and the snakes mouth suddenly closes it avoids hitting him!

And Lance does not let this opportunity pass, he takes a step to the side and swiftly brings down the blade of the halberd, cutting the snake in half. Everyone is in silence. And then Lance falls onto his knees and his parents start to rush over.

Barbara(Mother): "Honey are you ok?"

Harold(Father): "Come on bud let's get you somewhere to lie down, that was a really good job"

Vicky looks worriedly at Lance but when she tries to go see how he's doing, her mother grabs her hand.

Mrs. Vortis: You do not need to worry about him, I'm sure he'll be fine. It's best for you to not be involved with such matters anyways."

Vicky is about to speak but looks at her mothers cold eyes and decides to keep it to herself.

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[5 hours later]

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Lance is currently relaxing at home. He's laying on his bed trying to figure out how he activated his magic. It all happened so quickly and so naturally that he's not even sure how his magic fully works. Then he hears something.

???: "It happened because you ordered it to. Nothing much more than that."

Lance: "Who said that?"

He quickly got up and looked around his bed but found nothing out of the ordinary. Then he was in an endless void in front of a teenager in what we know as a high school uniform.

Chris: "I did"

Lance: "Who are you and where are we?!"

Chris: "My names Chris, and were in the void of your subconscious"

Lance: "Ok why am I here? And why are you here?"

Chris: "We don't have time to explain all that"

Lance: "Why not?"

Chris: "The hired assassins coming to kill you as we speak"

Lance: "Why?!"

Chris: "Most likely Mrs. Voltris for you being too close to her daughter and not high enough status which will ruin her attempts at trying to turn Vicky into a status obsessed manipulator now back to the Assassins."

Lance: "o-ok"

Chris: "There's never gonna be an easy way to say this but you parents are probably dead at this point and the biggest concern right now is that you don't end up like them."

Lance is taken aback by this but steels his heart and nerves and agrees. He then thinks of something and ask's

Lance: "How did you even find out their are assassins?"

Chris: "Because subconsciously you can sense them, you just don't know how to act on it. But I'll teach you. So focus."

Lance nods and does as Chris instructs.

Chris: "your perception is already high but your blocking it away because your body couldn't handle it without magic, but you can now so just focus on your body and relax, I'll do the rest all you gotta do is allow me"

Lance does as instructed and can feel the presence of three figures moving up the stairs. Their aura is very powerful and Lance already knows he can't beat them. Seeing Lance has now unlocked this, Chris smiles and starts talking.

Lance: "At the moment you can't beat them. But from what I know and have interpreted, I probably can. I've already figured out how your power works but I've never switched with you before so I'm just gonna attempt and you just gotta go with it, got it?

Lance thinks it over and realizes this is his best chance at survival at the moment so he agrees.

Then he feels himself being dragged and when he opens his eyes, he sees his body moving on its own, well not on its own, but Chris is in control of it. Chris, who is getting a feel for being able to move his body again, smiles and opens the door revealing 3 figures in all black.

Chris: Hello gentlemen, at least I think your men, let's makes this quick shall we?"

And before they can even say anything, the aura around him changes and his eyes glow, but instead of the usual gold mixed with white it's a simple but unimaginably dark black and then he speaks.

"Kings Rule,

Tyrant"

And the air around them turns heavy enough to crush them. Their immediately forced to the ground and cough out blood, unable to defend against the pressure that's been created. He then walks closer. With each step the aura gets that much more unbearable. He then talks.

"I would interrogate you but I don't think you can talk at the moment"

Step

"And I apologize for the unnecessary force, but I need to let out some steam for being stuck by myself in that place for so long"

Step

"So I guess you'll just have to forgive me for that"

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But by that time they were all dead