The Everburn Mage

27. Flames and Shadows

A kingdom of demons turned silver; it was beauty to his eyes.

Many times had he envisioned the downfall of Esteras but to see the path to its destruction unfold right before him delivered more happiness than he probably deserved. Countless heads screaming and running in a futile attempt to escape the inevitable. 

When death approached, people tended to show their true characters. Below him, he watched as men shoved past women and elderly. He observed nobles instructing their servants to save the worthless possessions from their homes, even at the cost of their own lives. He saw children, crying for a hero to rescue them, wandering the streets aimlessly. Chaos, that was the only word he could think of to describe the corrupted scene.

And Trevor enjoyed every second of it.

This was what they deserved. It was what every Esteran deserved. To start a war and then issue a peace treaty, why, it was like they were taking credit for fixing a problem they themselves caused. And while the rest of the world did its best to recover from those crimson days and cold nights, they threw parties and celebrated the brave soldiers who participated in the war. 

They sought to keep the cogs of their corrupted history turning so as to not contemplate the sins and travesties they committed. Why should they be allowed to live their lives with comfort and security, holding their heads high as if they were too good for anyone else.

No, Trevor saw them for what they really were. Beasts who needed to be tamed, to be taught a lesson. With the Day of Zero activated soon the entire country will learn of the wrath of Gyrak. They will look on in fear as their leaders and military headquarters are disposed of like the pieces of excrement they were. 

An era of change was upon them, and he was the one who had commenced it. The history books of Gyrak would remember him as a legend, the valiant sorcerer that slayed their ignorant oppressors in their sleep. Truthfully, though, he couldn't care less about his reputation or honor or glory. Watching buildings collapse and corpses turned to frozen statues, he only thought of his family, the shimmering pieces of his heart he had failed to protect. 

Freya, are you and the kids seeing this? All of it is for you. Trevor smiled. These devils in human clothing, I'll ruin their brood and cover their homelands with my ice. Trevor's smile faded. I wasn't as strong as you needed me to be, I apologize, my family. But with the power of the manites, I'm unstoppable. 

It was true, the enchanted manites amplified his magic spells, so much so that not even Esteras' best stood a chance against them. Who was there to stop him? Peering over the ledge of a building, his arms crossed and his multicolored tome floating beside him, he merely relished in satisfaction from a job well-done.

Then, he heard a door open. An unwanted guest had joined him on his altar.

"A smart man would have fled the city by now, or at the very least disappear inside the bedlam. And yet here you are, as discreet as a bull in a flock of sheep. What, are you Gyrakians not fans of subtlety? It's quite the effective tool, in my opinion." 

The Esteran soldier, a major by the name of James Griffin, strode to him, hands in his pockets. Despite his snarky comments and aloof demeanor, Trevor didn't sense the presence of mana within him. He wasn't gifted by Gala. He was just an ordinary human. "Although, I really shouldn't complain too much. Now I have the opportunity to pick at your brain before you're locked up forever."

"I have nothing to say to you, Esteran." Trevor looked back at the city descended into madness. "And it matters not if I fall, nothing can stop the Day of Zero. The spell breeds destruction, and it won't end until Savannis is a distant memory."