Letter

Zane went back home, facing another slew of insults, and someone throwing a can at him. 

He lay on his bed, letting out a big sigh, pressing his palms into his eyes.

"18th birthday, and all I get is ruined bread and a can to my face." He removed his hands and looked at the ceiling.

"Is this really going to be my whole life? Begging in the street, having to take shit from everyone because I'm too weak to do anything about it?"

His eyes became teary.

"Is this the life you guys wanted for me?" He thought of his parents.

As Zane lay there moping, a bunch of glowing green symbols appeared on the floor.

"Huh?"

Zane looked at the floor, only to see green light emanating from symbols he didn't know the meaning of. To his surprise, the floor opened, revealing a staircase leading below the house.

"What the hell…"

Wary, Zane followed the steps leading to a brightly lit room. In the middle lay a small altar with a sealed letter on top. The walls were lined with shelves that held jars and dusty books and other items. Behind the altar there was a circular slab of crystal that glowed, a thick book floating above it.

"What is this place?"

Noticing no weird threats, Zane entered, picking up the letter. He looked at the back of the letter, where written in neat cursive was "Read me."

Breaking the seal, Zane unfolded the letter and began to read it.

"Dear Zane,

If you are reading this, then the worst has already happened. Your mother and I must be dead, and you have just turned 18.

First of all, I'm so sorry that you grew up alone in this world. If it were up to us, we would have stayed a normal and happy family for your whole life." 

At this, Zane had to pause. He was already crying, yet he was insanely happy that his father had been the one to write this letter. Taking a breather, he continued.

"We wish we were able to see you grow old, get married and start a family of your own, but now we can't.

Please forgive us for being Dark Mages. We did not intend to destroy anything, or to ruin your life. 

We swear to you that we weren't like the other Dark Mages. We were not evil, it was simply the way we lived, the power we wielded.

In the room in which you stand, I have left you gifts so that you do not have to face this world on your own. 

If it is your 18th birthday, and you have not yet awakened your magic, do not fret. Mages are rare, and we did not expect you to be one.

If you look to your left, you should see a small shelf upon which 3 vials sit." 

Zane looked to his left to confirm what the letter said. He approached the shelf and continued reading.

"Drink the contents of all 3 vials. The first one is to strengthen your body so that you may handle the other 2 vials." 

Zane opened the first vial and gulped down the green liquid inside. It was warm, and gave him a small headache, but he could feel his body become lighter and stronger, though it didn't change outwardly.

"The second one is concentrated mana to forcefully awaken you. Normally, this is a very risky and dangerous process, but the first vial makes it completely safe."

Zane drank the contents of the second vial, a bright and clear liquid. It slid smoothly down his throat, and after a few seconds of nothing, Zane felt a new energy coursing through his body.

"So this is what mana feels like…" Zane put mana in his finger and started writing in the air, leaving behind bright blue streaks. "I thought it would be harder to use."

Ignoring his mana for now, Zane read about the third vial.

"The final vial is an elixir made by an amazing alchemist I once knew. It will increase your mana capacity AND quality by many leaps and bounds, giving you a gigantic storage of mana as well as a rapid regeneration rate. It will almost be as if you have infinite mana."

Excited, Zane took the third vial, filled with a thick sky-blue liquid, and drank it. Almost immediately, he felt the energy in his body increase even further, it felt like his whole body was made of mana, he felt weightless.

"You prepared all this for me…" Zane realized how his parents loved him so much they helped him from beyond the grave. He read the remaining contents of the letter.

"Now that you are awakened, you can get the real gifts we left for you.

Behind the altar, you should see a crystal table with a floating book. That book is my old spellbook, and it is filled with spells, normal as well as forbidden, for you to learn.

In case you didn't know, every Mage needs their spellbook, as it is their whole arsenal. Every spell a Mage learns takes up pages in their spellbook, and the number of pages depends on how difficult to learn and how strong the spell is. The more a Mage understands their spell, the deeper the ink appears on the page.

Most Mages cannot fight without their spellbook, as to cast spells without it means to have total knowledge and memorization towards their spells. A Mage can, however, have more than one spellbook. Others cannot use your spellbook, but be careful yours is not taken from you, as others may copy the spells from it like you will do to mine.

The shelf on the right contains a row of empty spellbooks. Pick one, and you can use it to learn the spells from my spellbook.

Next to the spellbooks you should see an amulet with a blue stone on it. It is your mother's gift to you. It is a legendary artifact that allows the holder to peek into the future to see the outcome of a specific choice or action. No doubt it would help you greatly, but be careful, it can only be used once a day."

This room is filled with things from my life as well as your mother's, and I hope you will be able to take the time to explore the contents and find use for them.

The chest in the corner and make any food or clothing you desire, you only need to ask for it.

We give you this power not so you could avenge us, but because we love you, and want you to be able to protect yourself in this world.

Goodbye, Zane. We are proud of you no matter what path you take. Love, your parents."