Standing in the middle of the castle's yard, zayn stared at the fog and silence that permeated the air. The feeling of him here sometimes felt surreal and unreal but he had to believe it with the lack of little banter and talks from his mom.
The sight of his room and everything like he could just wake up and everything would be a dream. No trying to fight off monsters or anyone, or trying to learn about mana and if he had any affinity, no wars or helping anyone.
If only.
Nevertheless he was here and he needed to fight his way back to his world and that means defeating and winning whatever battle may come his way and that was now as the sounds of metals clang together.
His eyes went to the sound and there stood him. Ash. In all power, shirtless as he sparred with smiths warrior. He was a mage and also a warrior. Something he didn't know he could ever be.
His eyes followed everything. The swing of his blade as it sliced through the air as sweats dripped down his body. He fought like a warrior. Rage. The power to wield magic. Control, he had over his life and what he could do about it.
"Too weak to try fighting?" Selene's voice filled the air, so gentle, but stern as she normally talks and acts. He turned and there she stood in a regality, her dark purple cloak covering the training robes she wore underneath.
As she walked the cloak dragging behind her. Her eyes blazed with that fire everyone in this place had, most especially the mages. There was a fire he saw in their eyes in the few weeks he was with them and he loved it.
"I never wanted this or wanted to do this. I'm neither like you or him that wields magic. I don't know what you are expecting right now.
She came to stand in front of him "of course not. I wouldn't try to think highly or have too much expectation for someone who hasn't in them. But do you know what? I never wanted all this, you might have heard how my father locked me up in my room for years. No training. No tutor. Nothing and no one to help me. But guess" she gritted her teeth as a white light appeared on her palm as she used it to hold onto zayn's arm however he retreated and she chuckled "I learnt and did everything on my own. I'm not telling you to do the same but maybe I think you should think about what's at stake here. Why are you here? No one is coming to save you" she looked away "or your mother zayn but yourself and you need to fight for these people" she left not turning back.
Zayn stood there for minutes ruminating over what she said "No one is coming to save you or your mother zayn but yourself and you need to fight for these people." He needed to fight for himself and his mother to leave these people.
The hope of seeing his mother again fueled his determination as he ran after Selene. He needed this.
**
He found her in the Tower of Babel, playing with bottles and potions with other female mages and male he hadn't seen before. They were all busy and he felt left out, standing by the side.
"You should join us zayn" Selene studied for a second blinking her eyes as she waved her hands for him to come on. Zayn hesitated for a second with all the unfamiliar faces and eyes gawking at him but he agreed.
"All the runes and spells seem to be failing trying to track a place like that. I don't think it exists" a mage said, cleaning up a surface revealing drawings and carvings of ancient drawings.
"We've been trying for a while. It doesn't have to happen now" she said but her eyes stayed on zayn. "We are trying to check if where you said existed but we are not seeing anything like that so I don't know" she shrugged and he came to stand beside her. "While we are it why don't we train or more like try to check if you are absolutely human"
"What do you mean?"
Everyone in the room dispersed and it was only the two of them left. She swerved to the other side, gathering everything she could use to cast a spell without chants and get normal hand flickering.
"Training or trying to check out if you really have an affinity in you or you're just a plain human. Sometimes I wonder how you found yourself here. Don't you think it's strange"
"You—"
"NOTHING IS STRANGE!"
Zayn staggered back due to the harsh and deep voice that echoed through his head. Clutching it, his ears rang and he fell to his knees. He couldn't remember when last he heard any voice in his head. He had thought the voice had disappeared as ot normally does for days. How the hell does it works and how can they turn it off.
"DON'T BE SO PATHETIC ZAYN. ITS SHAMEFUL"
"Stop" he said, pulling on his hair, his head and ears rang and Selene sat on her haunches holding onto his arms but he pushed her with a slight push however that earned her gasping as she landed with a full force at the end of the room.
"Stay away from me!!" He growled, his voice sounding so hoarse and guttural. He whimpered in pain as blood trickled down his ears down his neck, veins popping up in his head. He raised his head, his eyes finding Selene in the room and he smiled blacking out.