Aeternitas by M Mixson (free ereaders txt) 📖

to his dorm room. "Well, I'll see you later. Give Dunui my sympathies. I heard his girlfriend broke up with him."

The older brother smothered a laugh as he too headed back to his own dorm. "I'll be certain to tell him. I'll see you later Eian!"

Eian waved a hasty goodbye and quickly weaved his way through the students and towards his dorm.

Once inside his dorm and flopped down onto his bed feeling slightly miserable. He knew that Berul tried to do what he thought was right but the last time he had only further aggravated an already tense situation.

Eian picked at his fingernails as he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. If only there was a way to become stronger and seen as less of an idiot and weakling. Eian knew he wasn't strong, he was rather weak. But he also knew he was weak due to malnourishment his whole life as well as the fact that stress caused health issues too. His dead uncle had been a doctor for some time and had been researching such unique ideas.

A few moments later he pulled himself off the bed and to his desk where a pile of papers sat. He flipped through them quickly as he skimmed their contents. There was nothing interesting in them.

He tapped a pencil on the table as he thought about the letter he wanted to write his grandmother.

Dear Grandmother,

I know this letter is rather late, but I've been very busy with classes. I'm sure you understand that. In the past few months a lot of things have occurred. The first of which I mentioned to you a while back. I met these two rich boys who agreed to sponsor me. One seems to have taken a liking to me. He tends to say he'll beat up anyone who insults me. I rather think that's because they're insulting his family name through me. I pay those insults no mind however, there are far more important things to be doing. Of, my schooling is going well. I'm doing well too. My classes are fine and I think I'm really starting to enjoy my time here, Grandma. I can't thank you enough for this chance. I promise I will do everything in my power to make you and my deceased parents proud. I can promise you that.

Love forever,

Eian.

Chapter 14: Magic

The dare had gone very, very wrong. Eian clung to the side of the building as his hands scrabbled for purchase. His breathing was staggered as he struggled to grip the top of the building. He glanced down and felt his heart stop beating for a moment.

He closed his eyes for a moment before he pulled up with his arms struggling to get a grip. It happened suddenly and quickly though. It was a second’s miscalculation, he had moved his hand to get a better grip but the hand still on the rim of the building slid and he let go.

The air rushed past him with a quickness that felt unbelievable. In his mind he was thinking, stop, stop, STOP. His body jerked to a full stop and he kept his eyes closed waiting for the pain to set in and for his death to occur. But it didn’t happen. All he could feel was the tug and pull of the air.

Then he heard the voices. The voices below and above him,

“My god…” he could hear one person breathe.

“He’s…he’s…”

“He’s floating!”

“No…he’s hovering!”

“Is he dead?”

“What’s causing that?”

Eian tried to block out their voices as he concentrated on the voice in his mind.

‘Boy…what are you doing?’

Eian shook his head and felt the thoughts come again, ‘Do you know what you’re doing?’ it asked.

Eian clapped a hand to his head. The voice spoke again very gently ‘Do you need help?’

‘YES!’ he cried out in his mind.

He felt a gentle hand wrapping around his wrist and a burning, searing sensation.

His eyes began to water and tear up as the sensation of pain began to fade. The voice spoke again, ‘I am a Source. I am Isia. I am power. I give you the power of magic, of the source. Through me you are able to harness and use this power.’

‘Magic…I thought only those born to magic could use it. Not only that most magic users are dead or insane! Will I go insane?’

‘You will not go insane. Those who went insane were not born to it – they chained us and forced our magic from us. The Original Source destroyed them.’

‘But…my family aren’t magic users!’

‘Really?’ the voice questioned. ‘You believe that? I can tell you that the magic resides in you. The power to use the Source lives in this body of yours. It isn’t very powerful right now…but that can change!’

‘It can?’

‘Of course! All you need is practice…I can help you with that.’

Eian reached out into the air where he thought he heard the voice. ‘I accept!’

The burning sensation came back to his wrist and faded much slower this time but now when he opened his eyes he could see Isia hovering over him. She was beautiful, glimmering, shining in the air. She was almost translucent she was so white, so silver, and so pale. Her hair was wispy and wild and of a silver color. It flowed as if there was wind blowing it. The dress she wore was a creamy white, and she was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen.

‘It is the source,’ she said, ‘The magic is so powerful that if any human touches, if any human becomes a Source they turn pure. This pureness causes them to become the colors of purity, white and silver. Sometimes we will have tints of blue as well.’

‘Will I turn silver?’

‘Only if you become a Source.’

‘I meant…now that I’ve accepted you, will…will my hair turn silver?’

Isia looked at him, her steel blue eyes sharp and focused. ‘Perhaps once you start using magic. There is no way to really know.’

Eian bit his lip. ‘Okay so…how do I get down from here?’

Once he was on the ground again the Head Master was there in front of him, a frown creasing his face.

‘He can’t see me,’ Isia told him. ‘Only you can.’

Eian didn’t nod for fear of the Head Master seeing.

“Young man, what was that? Who was doing that? Were you doing that? You do know that by capturing magic you are breaking the law right?”

‘What do I tell him?’

‘The truth.’

“I didn’t capture the magic, sir. The magic came to me. It talked about being a Source and…stuff. I found it all rather confusing in point of fact. She mentioned something about the Original Source?”

The Head Master’s eyebrow arched. “I quite wonder where you found this information. It is not public knowledge as no one in the past, hmm, fifty years or more has been able to bond correctly with a Source. Those descendants of the magic users for some reason lost the ability. We were never able to figure out why.”

‘Do you know why?’

‘No, even we do not know. The Original Source has said nothing, so I can only presume he did it for a certain reason. We do not ask questions, we simply follow orders.’

“Oh. I’m sorry if I upset you sir, it was never my intention. But I am telling the truth…” he paused.

‘Can I tell him your name?’

‘You may.’

“Her name is Isia.”

“Isia?” the Head Master repeated. “Interesting. Well young man, I unfortunately will have to impose some punishment on you –“

Berul dashed up, “But sir! He did nothing wrong, or perhaps you didn’t know? You came from a poor family right, one that was slightly illiterate?”

Eian clenched his teeth. “Sort of,” he responded a little angrily.

The Head Master still shook his head, “Laws are in place for a reason, but because you are a child I will say nothing, but I also cannot allow you to stay here and influence the other students. You must leave campus in the next three days or I will have to have you forcibly removed.”

Berul shouted, “He’s been here for five years; you know him, you know most of your students! He is a top student!”

“That may be, but it still doesn’t excuse his actions. I’m sorry, but you will have to go.”

Eian swallowed and turned from the Head Master. Behind him he heard Berul spit, at the man’s feet, “My family will be taking our business elsewhere as well then.”

Eian didn’t see but he could almost hear the Head Master’s eyes widening as he pleaded with Berul, “But…you can’t! Your family has been students at my school for generations! You’re one of our best donors and benefactors.”

“Please don’t expect this month’s payment or anymore checks in the future. Good day.”

Eian felt a hand on his arm, and Berul murmured, “I’m sorry. I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

The fifteen year old shook his head. “No, no, it’s no problem. I was getting ready to leave anyways. There’s not much left for me here anyways.”

“Not much?” Berul questioned, “Well what are you going to do after this then?”

Eian shrugged. “I’m going to start researching the different, ah, groups that reside in my home city. I still want to search for my parents’ killer.”

Berul lowered his head. “I always knew that revenge was your number one goal…but is it all that? My family can support you, you can even bring your grandmother!”

“It’s a kind offer, and I’d like to take it up on my grandmother’s behalf, but I fear I can’t. I owe you too much already.”

“You don’t,” Berul told him softly, and turned towards him, “You really don’t. I decided to, after I got to know you better, continue bribing you because I liked you. I liked being around you,” they’d reached a niche in the wall outside the school building when Berul planted both his hands on Eian’s shoulders.

“Eian, let me protect you. Let me help you, I want to be there for you.”

Eian touched his arm gently. “Thank you…it’s much appreciated, but I still feel that I’d be imposing.”

“You know my father loves you! Despite the fact mother dislikes you’re poor she loves your art. She’d accept you.”

Eian shook his head. “No. The only way I’d accept your offer was to work for you in exchange for bed, roof and food.”

Berul quieted and stepped forward leaning in close to Eian’s face. “I will miss you once you leave. But there’s no point in staying if you’re not here.” He pulled away and looked over his shoulder.

“Good luck Eian, I hope to see you soon.”

The younger boy watched him go feeling slightly sad at the loss of a friend he didn’t realize he’d had.

He leaned against the wall as Isia spoke in his mind, ‘You are hurting. I’m sorry. I remember that human feeling.’

‘You were once human?’

‘Some of us, yes. Other’s no. I was…part human and part Source. My father fell in love with his Source. I was their child. The thing is though, my mother died because of the birth. A life for a life. My human father grieved, but he saw that I looked human. Both my father