A Step Forward

Light of day broke through the sky as the flames that had kept the cold at bay all night died down. Smoke rose into the air and the morning wind carried it into the distance. Silence weighed the air down as dawn turned into morning. It had been only a few hours that Michael had spent in the desert, yet they were the most peaceful hours by far.

The chaos of the previous night had settled also, replaced by the bloom of his resolve, hope slowly creeping in. She was still vile to his tongue, but the future didn't look as bleak as it had the past few weeks and so, he found himself allowing himself the luxury of her touch.

He was sprawled on the ground, his gaze turned to the blue skies where clouds drifted lazily as the sun made it's way to it's throne of midday. His heart was aflame with his desire for strength, it had always been there, only now he decided to make it core of his second life. Previously this desire promised to go unfulfilled—maybe that had been the cause of his despair—but now, Amelia promised him second wind in this hellish nightmare.

His saving grace, a spell as old as time and as intricate as the weaves of fate. She described it with such reverence and love that Michael was taken aback by her deep admiration for magic.Most of the magic jargon she had thrown at him went over his head, yet she still managed to plant a seed of desire to learn magic more than ever.

Currently, she was seated besides him, parchment in her hand and a bottle of ink floating in the air. The wind picked up and fluttered her hair as ink flowed from ink bottle to parchment carving in it inscriptions that seemed alien yet vaguely familiar to Michael. It was like a distant memory demanded to be awakened.

Mesmerized by Amelia's prowess in controlling the ink to weave writings, Michael felt his heart beat wildly in anticipation and intrigue.

'So this is magic', he thought to himself as yet another piece of parchment was lain on top of a growing pile of spell sheets.

"How many more of these do we need?"

She had been writing the spell that was supposed to help with the bind for most of the morning. Dishearteningly, the spell wasn't easy to be cast by a beginner and Michael was one such beginner and he would need to at least grasp the basics of this branch of magic in order for the ritual to be a success. Since the break of dawn, Amelia had been chalking up the basics necessary for this particular spell weave. The only thing that help maintain his intrigue was that of the two, he was the only one who could cast the spell. This also demanded that Michael master every aspect of the spell before he was ready to cast it.

Michael stared in awe as page after page of runes, hand signs and utterance came alive with such finesse. Maybe one day, he too would be able to do something similar.

"A few more sheets. Also not to burst your bubble, but it will take ages before you can match up to my skills in magic." she said and flashed him her brilliant smile that still managed to stun Michael. Only momentarily because a sudden sense of dread filled his gut. His stomach twisted and mind became partially numb with apprehension. The thought that he had tucked away resurfaced in that moment.

"Can you read minds?" he hoped to put his mind at ease should the answer be relieving. During their brief interaction, Michael didn't fail to notice how she was quick to respond to his thoughts despite him not voicing them. It was a scary thought to consider; the nefarious possibilities were endless if what he feared was true.

"Yes", she answered nonchalantly like it was common knowledge.

Amelia had listened in on Michael's thoughts since the moment they stumbled upon each other. She had known and still knew his deepest desire, his deepest secret. Dread painted his face pale as he thought back on all the things he allowed his mind to wander to when he was oblivious to this fact. Some things he would have wished remained only known by him. In that moment, with Amelia's revelation, he felt naked and vulnerable.

"Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me. If you keep scratching my back of course." she said and winked at him. The implication of her words clear.

Michael felt like a fool. Like a child duped by adults due to their naivety.Had he known of this possibility, he would have- what would he have done? How was he supposed to counter telepathy, or whatever it was that allowed Amelia to read his thoughts. Nothing, his limited knowledge in the workings of magic and the Nether put him at a clear disadvantage. He retrained his thoughts, had he not purposed to shed most of his old habits that had been his undoing and one such habit was his tendency to worry and make mountains out of anthills. If Amelia was going to use him for her own ends, it was only fair he do the same, no?

'This is going to suck', he thought with a heavy sigh and allowed his mind to appreciate the respite he enjoyed in this deserted wasteland.

"Oh, it's anything but"

Amelia said, reaffirming his worries. She proceeded to poke the ground they stood on with her finger.

It immediately came alive as the wind picked up and the lazy clouds above sped up. The desert floor, before his eyes, begun to shudder and crack open and his traumatized mind anticipated the unleashing of some hellish horror like many atimes before.

He stood up ready to react to whatever horror the ground birthed.

However, contrary to his expectations, the ground did not call forth some abominable creature, instead, it sprouted shoots; like when a seed bloomed into a seedling. It happened in real-time before his very eyes. He was flabbergasted, curiosity and awe fighting against his innate dread towards the Nether as the ground suddenly opened up.

He stood there, his eyes wide and mind conflicted.

The desert floor was gradually covered in vegetation. First came grass that covered the whole area they stood on in a green veil, then, flowers of different shades bloomed bringing with them a beautiful scent that permeated the air.The wind that had been picking up carried with it the scent of outdoors, that induced a nostalgia in Michael. He remembered his apartment, the field of green that lay out front and the sound of his neighbors as they went about their business. The vicinity around Michael and Amelia continued to unfold into a beautiful seen teeming with life.

Some of the vegetation had the semblance of what he had seen before back home, others were completely alien. Trees rose from the ground and pierced the day Skies, bushes rustled as small creatures dashed back and forth, basking in the daylight. Michael was completely mesmerized and awestruck, his attention firmly in the grasp of the world that was unfolding before his eyes.

Was this magic? It had to be.

Far into the distance, he heard rushing waters. The ground broke off into a cliff over which a river that had escaped Michael's notice flowed pouring in a torrent to the ground below where it continued it's journey.

He felt his skin come alive with goosebumps as the sweet summer air filled his nostrils and the cold breeze hugged his skin. His eyes teared up a little as excitement poured into his heart like the waters that rushed below.

The area that was once a desert was now a breathtaking scenery filled with life.

It was beautiful.

"I'm done writing, we can get started.'

[Authors Note: I just love descriptive writing ngl. Enjoy!]