Episode I — The Great Awakening Test

Chapter 4: The Self

“Uh, hi!” Michael waves awkwardly at the Self, his smile faltering. In response, the Self begins to glow, summoning a meteor shower that rains down upon the beach and the city. Gebmar, Ember, and Michael scramble to dodge the flying rocks and debris. A meteor strikes Gebmar’s neck, sending him collapsing to the ground.

“Gebmar!” Michael screams in horror, but to his relief, the deva stands up as if nothing happened.

“Don’t worry. I’m immortal, so nothing to worry about . . .” Gebmar’s expression freezes when he notices his necklace lying on the ground, its clasp broken. With sorrowful eyes, he picks it up, his shock turning to anger as he shouts at the Self. “How dare you, bastard?! This is my most precious treasure!” He quickly tucks the pendant into his pocket.

Michael whirls around to confront his adversary, but before he can cast a spell, the Self smiles as it begins to glow again, this time with a light-brown aura. The sand beneath the three morphs into a dozen hands that reach out to grab them, something which stuns Gebmar.

“Earth magic?!” Gebmar asks Michael in disbelief.

But Michael cannot respond as the sand closes over him, choking off his breath. Michael begins to glow deep purple and frees himself using counter-gravity, exploding the sand away from himself before scrambling out of the pit he has created.

The Self observes his action with displeasure. Michael begins to glow brightly, his palms coming together to create a tiny black hole between them. From within the black hole, a powerful ray of light bursts out and strikes the Self, causing it to plummet into the ocean.

“Nice!” says Gebmar triumphantly as the sand encasing him falls away, setting him free.

“I’ll need therapy after this . . .” says Ember, as she emerges from her hiding spot beneath the bench.

“How can your Self use Earth magic? Aren’t you supposed to be a Cosmic mage? Your kind can’t cast that kind of magic, right?” Gebmar inquires, his curiosity piqued.

“I’ve never attempted it before, to be honest. Should I?” Michael asks Gebmar, considering the possibility with a hint of uncertainty.

“I don’t know. Maybe my presence has altered the Sah’s system. After all, I shouldn’t be here!” Gebmar muses, reflecting on his unexpected situation.

“Can you two save this conversation for later? That thing is coming back!” Ember interrupts urgently, pointing to the glowing ocean, where the Self angrily bursts forth from beneath the sea.

A sinister smile spreads across the Self’s face as an eerie neon-blue glow expands from its form. Time itself seems to bend to its will, slowing to a dramatic crawl. It traps Michael and Ember, while Gebmar remains unaffected. The deva swiftly seizes both siblings, one in each arm, and takes off in search of a safe refuge.

“Time Dilation? This is Atomic magic?! This is Nyx stuff. Something is wrong with this Self,” Gebmar exclaims.

“W-h-y—c-a-n—y-o-u—m-o-v-e . . .” Michael struggles to enunciate. His speech is slowed by the effects of time dilation, each word stretched and distorted.

“We elementals are not affected by time, at least not in the same way as humans!” Gebmar explains as he effortlessly sprints towards safety, both siblings in his arms.

Realizing that its time dilation spell had failed to impede its targets’ escape, the Self’s aura takes on a menacing darker hue. It ascends into the sky, arms outstretched, summoning a colossal tidal wave. With a deafening roar, the wave surges higher and higher, and hurtles towards the coastline.

“Tidal Wrath?! I invented that technique to fight off invaders,” shouts Gebmar as he struggles to find refuge for them all. “Shit, we’re not going to make it!”

Gebmar turns around, his eyes widening in terror as the colossal wave looms even closer. Its immense shadow stretches across the cityscape, engulfing the streets in darkness.

Michael closes his eyes, searching deep into his inner magic. He contemplates the possibility of exercising different types of magic, like the Self. A neon-blue glow begins to emanate from him.

The monstrous wave crashes mercilessly into the city. A surge of power erupts from Michael, dispelling the time dilation and reversing the wave’s course, turning it back towards the Self. The entity’s eyes widen in shock as it is engulfed by its own creation, swallowed whole by the ocean.

Silence descends upon the trio as they gaze out at the tranquil sea, still reeling from the intensity of the moment. Gebmar carefully lowers his friends to the ground and then observes Michael in silence, his mind racing.

“That was a close one,” Ember breathes a sigh of relief, breaking the silence. “You know, Mike, I confess I used to envy your magic, and that you would one day become the Archmage. But, like, after seeing all the crazy stuff you have to deal with, I’m cool with just being a regular human.”

Gebmar approaches Michael, his expression serious. But before he can utter a word, the Self emerges from the depths once more, glowing an angry dark red. The entity begins to levitate toward them, its menacing presence casting an ominous shadow over its targets.

Gebmar steps aside, allowing Michael to take charge of the situation. “You’ve proven to be quite powerful,” he says calmly. “Remember, you are the master of this world. Anything you think shall be reality. You’ve got this!”

Gebmar smiles confidently at Michael, who blushes slightly. Gathering all his strength, Michael walks defiantly towards the Self.

Extending his hands and closing his eyes, Michael begins to chant silently in his thoughts. May I create a barrier, the strongest barrier ever. So strong that even this thing can’t break through.

His body begins to glow with a bright white light as he conjures a giant barrier to envelop the entire city, leaving only the Self outside. The entity furiously strikes the barrier, attempting to break through, but to no avail.

The Self’s demeanor shifts in an instant from frustration to a malicious ease. It calmly sits on the sand with its legs crossed, a smirk on its face, staring defiantly at Michael. The two engage in a silent standoff.

“What now?” Ember wonders, eyeing the scene.

“It knows that, sooner or later, this barrier will come down,” Michael replies, determined not to be intimidated by his rival. “And I’ll have to face it if I want to pass this test and get out of here.”

“The barrier won’t keep it out forever?” Ember asks, examining the magical shield.

“It all depends on Mike’s mental state. Magic is closely tied to our emotions. As long as he remains calm and avoids negative thoughts, we should be fine,” says Gebmar.

An ethereal golden string suddenly appears, emanating from Michael’s chest. He reaches out and touches it, feeling energy course through it, while Gebmar and Ember watch him in confusion.

“What’s he doing?” Gebmar asks, intrigued.

“I think a rock hit his head!” says Ember, earning a glance from her brother.

“I’m perfectly fine. Can’t you see the golden string? There’s so much magic flowing from it,” Michael replies as he plays with the golden strands. “It’s pulling in that direction.” He points towards the horizon, beyond the city.

“All I see is you being weird,” Ember replies.

“I don’t see anything, either. But as long as you sense magic coming from it, that’s the way to go,” says Gebmar, smiling.

“Are you sure about this?” Ember asks Gebmar quietly.

“What other choice do we have?” Gebmar replies, as they follow Michael into the city.

“I can hear you two, you know?” Michael remarks as he leads his companions further into the maze.

The Self calmly observes them from beyond the barrier, its gaze fixed on its targets as they disappear into the city. 

***

Back in the mansion, Nyx stands amidst the chaos of the ballroom, frustration and confusion evident on her face as she surveys the debris around her.

“What in the world happened here? And where in the realms is Gebmar?” she mutters to herself.

Nyx casts her spell, her eyes flaring green as time begins to run in reverse. Ethereal images materialize before her, replaying the recent battle with startling clarity. She watches intently as the events unfold, from the initial confrontation to the escape of the Fae.

“The Fae . . .” Nyx murmurs.

With a snap of her fingers, she reverts to her elemental form and approaches the shattered window. Stepping outside, she surveys the mansion, using her magic to restore it to its former splendor.

Once the ballroom’s interior and exterior are restored, Nyx’s gaze shifts to the forest beyond, where she sees the ghostly forms of Rickiemer and the dragon escaping. She begins to follow the spectral trail.

“Finding those fools won’t be difficult,” she says, trailing after the elusive Fae into the valley below.

Thank you for reading Chaos’s Key.

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