wait for me [illumi zoldyck]

43. Speak of the Devil

Mia

My feet hit the floor with a thud. If it weren't for Kyser's firm grip on my hand, I would've toppled over onto the stone floor.

We appear to be in some sort of cave. It's similar to the one that I appeared in a few nights ago. However, this one is much larger. Before us, there is an enormous subterranean lake whose water gleams with an unnatural blue hue, which smolders the cave in a somber blue glow.

I rip my hand away from Kyser, wrapping my arms around myself. "What the hell was that?" I breathe. I'm referring to the way he managed to transport us from the beach to this cave in the blink of an eye. My attention draws back to him, and he is watching me carefully.

"Magic," His pleasant voice echoes through the cave. He turns away from me to face the body of water in the distance. I follow him hesitantly as he approaches it.

Only after paying attention to it do I notice that the surface of the water glimmers with an irridescent tinge. I've never seen anything like it in my life. Everything about this cave seems to be drenched in magic.

"This cave is only accessible through magic. It's the perfect place to test your magical capabilities because it's drenched in magic and will help stir your dormant powers. It's closed off from society, but we'll need to be rather quick before we attract any attention," Kyser explains from beside me.

"It's beautiful," I murmrur, following him as he moves closer to the water. The scent of sickly sweet flowers hits me all at once, luring me closer. I stop, as my bare feet step on grains of sand. "So, what do I do now?"

"You will find that you use your magic most frequently when you are in desperate situations, which explains how you were able to conjure up a water mirror so easily. I want you to try to summon a water mirror again, this time willingly."

Kyser crouches next to the water, drawing his hand out just above the irridescent liquid, barely touching it. The water begins to sparkle underneath his touch, much like the time he summoned a door from a stone wall.

Coming to sit right beside him, I peer over the water and am met with my own reflection. I concentrate on the water, expecting the image reflected on the surface to morph into something else. A minute goes by.

"It's not working," I murmur, looking up to Kyser who watches me intently.

"You can do it Mia. You're strong. Dig inside yourself-"

His words suddenly echo in my ears, and then disappear completely. It's a familiar feeling. My eyes close, my head feels light. This is nothing like using nen. No, it's different altogether. A pain explodes in my head. I open my eyes but everything is blurred.

And then it all stops.

The once dark and gloomy cave is no longer grey. All around us, bright green grass, vines, leaves sprouts from the rocks. There are branches peeking out between cracks in the stone. Beautiful flowers emerge from the ground in a myriad of colors. Some of which I've never seen before.

"What's going on?" I question, glancing at Kyser nervously.

Kyser doesn't speak for a long moment. Instead, he gets up from where he sits and looks around the cave with an unknown expression on his face. His a frown etches it's way onto his face, distorting his usually perfect feautures. "How is this possible?"

A wave of exhaustion comes over me, but I ignore it and quickly get up after Kyser.

"I did this?" I breath, looking at the thick grass at my feet. It completely covered any sand that was previously there. Suddenly I feel lightheaded, a wave of nausea hitting me all at once. "I feel a little weak."