Owl in the Daylight

Chapter 14

"Tsk tsk. Audwin, don't you want to get out of there?" Von's taunting voice came from the other side of the tower as the boy focused in feeling the magical barrier surrounding the whole place.

It had been three months since he fell ill and met the cheeky magician. He was able to recover faster because now he has someone else other than himself to look after him.

Though that someone remains outside the tower.

When Von left that day to investigate what happened to Audwin, the lad had never been so nervous. Before, he knew nothing else but being alone. It was his way of life. But after meeting Von, he felt like he could easily lose a companion he only dreamed of having while being stuck in the cursed keep.

Sweat running down his temple, Audwin closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He was standing with his arms raised in front of him, palms three fingerbreadths from the wall. Distracted from the task at hand, he remembered the day his mentor came back. Those were the longest three weeks of his life but he kept diligently waiting.

He said I have potential. He will come back, if only for curiosity. He kept reassuring himself.

When he heard that smug voice outside, he was filled with so much relief he almost fell on his knees. Audwin barely heard that he was a prince and the younger half of a twin. Turns out he was thrown in this godforsaken cell because of an ancient superstition.

Audwin learned his name that day and that of his brother, Aldous. What unfamiliar names. Feeling detached to it all, he was just glad that Von came back.

Being a prince, let alone having a sibling, didn't mean much to him. It was like being told he was a character in a story book. The royal family was a foreign concept in his world. They were all strangers.

Audwin heard a flicker of disappointment in his mentor's voice when he responded tepidly about the account of his past. Scared of being abandoned, he did what was expected of him.

Instead of voicing his real thoughts, the boy reacted accordingly to Von's tales. Audwin appeared indignant for being discarded, hurt for not being chosen, and jealous of everything Aldous had.

Because Von wanted him to feel that way.

But in truth, he didn't care.

He needed Von to keep being curious about his abilities so the man wouldn't leave him too.

He'd do anything so he wouldn't go back to being alone.

Breathing deeply, he let out a bit of mana from his fingertips and pushed it forward until it hit an unseen barrier.

Surprised, he jumped excitedly. "Master, I felt it!" Audwin raised his hands in wonder. From being able to float objects a week ago, now he could feel his invisible prison.

"Good job, my boy. You are progressing faster than I expected," Audwin thought he heard a tinge of worry in his mentor's praise but he shrug it off.

Why will Von be worried if I learn faster? No, he must be proud of me.

Beaming widely to himself, he resolved to make his mentor even prouder.

***

Two years had passed under Von's tutelage and Audwin's magical growth was beyond impressive.

At age nine, he could control his elemental powers with ease. From floating objects, he could now take flight, albeit only within the perimeter of his room. He was working on offensive attacks but only on a small scale due to limited space.

He couldn't afford to nuke the tower without destroying the actual barrier keeping him inside first.

He persisted in working out how to shatter the invisible prison. So far, all he knew was that it allowed objects to go in but nothing could go out. Thus, Von explained that the only way to break Audwin out of there was from the inside.

Audwin sighed and took a break from trying to inflict damage on it. Lately, he felt tired because of gruesome nightmares.

Burning villages. Screams for mercy. Pools of blood.

Everything felt so vivid he would think he was actually there except he was locked up.

He sighed. His nightmares made him wonder which was better, being imprisoned or free but at a price.

He didn't want to hurt people. He liked people. He wanted to live like them.

Free to choose whatever they wish.

"Oh? You keep sighing today. Is there a problem?" Von's curious voice drifted from the outside.

"I've been having restless sleep recently," Audwin began to tell his mentor about the trivial matter about his sleep.

"Hmm, that is indeed troublesome. Would you like me to help ease your mind? So you will never have nightmares or dreams anymore," he offered.

"Sounds good to me."

Audwin walked near the air hole as Von beckoned him. Standing with his back against the wall, he closed his eyes and let his mentor do his mojo.

That was the first mistake of his young life.