We walk down a long sidewalk past the academic building and the library to a different building, one I haven't seen before. It was just adjacent to what I've learned is Crystal Keep, aka the place I saw myself die.
The whole building is darker than the others, with dark brick, dark paint, just a dark aura about it. The name of the building is Shadow Holt. A strange name for anything really, much less a building.
"You feel it, don't you?" Cyrene says as we stop in front of the building.
"Feel it?"
"I can sense your hesitation, sense your energy getting on guard. You feel it, don't you?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Okay, close your eyes."
I do.
"Now I want you to think about what you are feeling."
"Okay..."
"Just do it."
I can feel this gut-twisting anxiety, a fear like no other. I can feel my fight or flight response getting ready to take over at any moment, the hairs on my arm standing on edge. I don't know why I'm feeling this, but I'm sure it has something to do with this building.
"What do you feel?"
"Anxiety."
"Right, and what is the cause of that anxiety?"
"The building?" I open my eyes.
"Exactly, you know why that is?"
"No."
"Because this building is Shadowed."
"What?"
"Shadowed, a shadow caster owns the building and has cast a shadow on it to make it a more private place. Shadow casters are our natural rivals, enemies if you want to go that far. They are our opposites, just as truth and full disclosure is our thing, Privacy and keeping things hidden is their thing. We can always sense a shadow caster from a mile away because our energies naturally clash, just as they can always sense us."
"Oh."
She ushers me inside and towards a door that almost seems to be glowing. It's so bright compared to the other dark doors around it. Her name is on the door. Cyrene Windsor.
"For the first couple of weeks, I am just going to be teaching you the basics that every caster should know. You'll go to your regular classes and come to me for some one-on-one tutoring. We'll have three sessions a day. A morning session before breakfast. A session during your lunch period just so I can answer any lingering questions. And a three-hour session after class. Just relax and get comfortable. My home is your home," She twirls around with her arms outstretched.
The walls are bookshelves filled to the brim with books. There's a desk in the back corner by a window. On it is mountains upon mountains of paperwork and a desktop computer. There's a leather couch with a blanket on it and a small coffee table in front of it also covered in papers. Despite the mess, it had a homey feel to it.
I sat on the couch and sunk into it. She pulls up a chair on the other side of the coffee table, moving all the papers and books to the pile on her desk. Then with a great sigh, she plops down and kicks up her legs on the table.
"Alright, where should we begin?"
"How about what the heck is energy? From what I learned in school there were only two types. Potential and Kinetic. But I have a feeling that's not what you guys are talking about."
She chuckles.
I frown at her.
"Okay, let's see. The easiest way I can describe it is like this. So every person has systems in their body. The respiratory, nervous system, etc. Right?"
"Right," I drag the word out.
"Well for Caster's there is another system. Their magical energy runs throughout their body. Think of it like this, when you are sick, your body tells your brain you don't feel good right? Well, your energy lines work in a similar way. Energy is all around you, but more importantly inside of you. You can tap into this energy for many things."
"But what do people mean when they say my energy is off?"
"So, there is an energy around you and inside of you. When you are in tune with your energy, your energy should be in tune with the surrounding energy. When there is a mismatch other Casters can sense it. This can cause a Caster to get sick or worse."
"I don't get it," I sigh.
I can feel the headache coming on.
Cyrene sighs.
"Okay, let's think of it like this. Energy is both physical and spiritual. It's not something you can see, but you can sense it. Just like you can't see your own thoughts, but they're, there, right?"
I raise an eyebrow at her.
"It's a cycle. Energy should be flowing in and out of your body constantly. Like the water cycle, there is an energy cycle."
She's only confusing me more.
I'm so lost.
"Your body is nothing more than a filter for this energy. The surrounding energy goes in, but your body is only capable of using one type of energy. So it converts that energy to your energy and then you project that energy outward. Get it?"
"If I say yes can I take a break?"
She grunts in frustration.
"Okay how about an easy reference. When life gives you lemons, what do you get?"
"Lemonade?"
"No, you just have lemons. You have to turn it into lemonade. You squeeze the lemons, water it down, and sweeten it up. That's how you get lemonade. Energy is like lemons. Your body has to turn it into lemonade. Get it now?"
"But what does that have to do with people saying my energy is off or on guard?"
"So once you learn how to utilize those lemons, you can do many things with them. They don't always have to be made into lemonade. You can use your surrounding energy like a radar. Think of it like sonar. When something isn't right it pings you and tells you hey, something's off. When you learn to translate those pings then you will be able to read people's energies and even control how people interpret your energy. If you want them to interpret it at all. Skilled Casters can hide their energies from others."
I scrunch my brows together in thought.
So, some weird force called energy is constantly flowing in and out of me. The stuff that flows in is not the same as the stuff that flows out. I can't see it, but I can sense it. Supposedly. Once I can sense it, I'll have to learn how to interpret it. Which sounds tough.
"Think of it like gravity if that helps," Cyrene adds. "You can't see gravity, but you can feel it. Magic energy is like that, it's a force we can't see and only a select few of the world's population can feel. There are many regular people attuned to the energies around them, like you. You are greatly attuned to light energy, even before you were awakened and turned into a Caster. You may not know it, but Emery you have a strong and powerful energy line inside of you. It's like your extra sense. You have sight and taste, and feeling, but energy is your extra sense."
"The more you talk, the more confused I get," I admit.
She sighs.
I mimic her.
"Look, I'm going to be honest here. I'm not a very good teacher."
"You don't say?" I say sarcastically.
"Shut it, I'm stuck just the same as you. Like it or not, we are the only two light casters in the whole world. Which means we are stuck with each other. So, I'm going to do my best to teach you what you need to know, and you are going to do your best to learn it. Got it?"
"I'll try."
"Good. I highly recommend that you start reading on the subject on your own for further clarity. For now, we are going to move on from the subject."
"You didn't make good grades in class did you," I comment.
"Watch it, I'll have you know I was a straight b student."
I raise an eyebrow.
"Fine c."
I cross my arms.
"Okay! Maybe not a straight c."
"Honesty is the best policy," I mock her.
"I've seen your high school transcripts, missy, you have no room to talk."
"Hey! I made good grades."
She raises an eyebrow.
"My English teacher had it out for me! He did! He always failed all my essays."
"Sure, whatever makes you sleep better."
I glare at her.
After that things get even more confusing. New information flying ta me left and right. I am a Rareth. At least that's what Cyrene said. She says there are different types of magical beings, just like regular people have different races. There are blue blood's, or the casters with two caster parents. These people usually come from a long line of casters. Then there are people with only one caster parent, half-bloods. Lastly, there are people like me with no caster parents, Rareth's. Elowen Bernard was the first to ever become a caster without being born with magical abilities, she was a wild caster, the first one ever.
Wild Casters are people who can use their magical abilities to form a connection with animals, to put it simply as Cyrene said.
She also says that now and days Rareth's like me are none existent. According to Cyrene, I'm the only one alive right now. During the '60s the Elders outlawed the practice of awakening regular people due to the outrage it was starting to cause. She said that the elders realized it was a messy process and that many people weren't happy when they got awakened, such as myself, thus they swore never to force someone into their lifestyle ever again.
So not only am I one of a kind, but I was "illegally" made.
Also, other than Cyrene, I am the only Star Caster as well. There are a few reasons why that is. The main one that contributed to the extinction of the Star Caster is that a long time ago people fears Star Casters. Their power was so vast and amazing that throughout history Star Casters were feared and looked at as gods. During the Christian revolution the idea of Star Casters as gods was widely rejected and all around the world they were hunted down and killed for various reasons. As time went on Star Casters would be convicted of nonexistent crimes, they were widely discriminated against, even by other Casters. Which leads to reason two as to why Star Casters went extinct.
Being a star caster takes a great deal of magical energy to manifest light abilities. Your body is constantly converting vast amounts of energy at all times. If Star Casters are not close to a huge natural magical source, like what happened to me, their body will use their life energy to try and replenish the amount of energy it needs to manifest the magic. Because people were so mean to Star Casters, many star Casters would go into hiding or pretend they were a different type of caster. Since they weren't getting the proper amounts of energy, and not learning how to handle their powers and energy, they would often die at an early age.
By the time people realized what was happening to Star Caster was wrong, it was too late. The fear had been instilled in the little star caster's left. Many died before they could have kids or chose not to have kids in fear that their kids would end up having to live like them. Caster's passed many laws banning the persecution of star casters. This law covered things from discrimination to wrongful accusations. It did little to help. By the '50s, Star Casters were extinct.
Cyrene herself is one in a million. Neither of her parents are star caster's but somehow, she was born one. You can imagine her childhood being chaotic since no one had seen a star caster in nearly 50 years anywhere in the whole world. She was basically given the golden treatment. Best tutors, best opportunities, and a fast track to power. All for free. After the near-extinction of Star Caster's a law was made by Caster's that no Star Caster would have to pay for education, reparations for the past. I guess I have that going for me, not that would have mattered. Anyone awakened automatically gets the same treatment. Because they didn't ask for this life.
Just when I was starting to get into all this interesting history of Star Caster's Cyrene said,
"Alright, time for a break. You need to eat lunch. Meet back here after. Tomorrow though will be your first day of classes. I'll give you a tour later tonight so you won't get lost. For now, go get something to eat and let all this sink in."
So, with a sigh. I plucked myself out of the couch and walked to lunch.
Comments (1)
See all