Short Stories Anthology

The Magicless Stranger

Prompt: A young person is banished from their magical world because they don't have magic powers, and they end up on Earth. How would they describe it?

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Alexander had never felt so alone. He had been born and raised in the magical world of Aranthia, where his parents were renowned sorcerers. As a child, Alexander had always dreamed of becoming a great magician like his parents. But as he grew older, it became clear that he had no magical powers. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't even conjure a simple flame.

As a result, Alexander was treated like an outcast in Aranthia. He was ridiculed and ostracized by his peers, and even his parents had begun to distance themselves from him. It was a dark and lonely existence, but Alexander had always held onto the hope that someday he would discover his magical abilities.

That hope was shattered when the Council of Elders declared that any magical being who couldn't demonstrate their powers by the age of 18 would be banished from Aranthia forever. Alexander was 17 at the time, and he knew that he would never be able to perform any kind of magic before his 18th birthday.

So it was that on the morning of his 18th birthday, Alexander found himself standing at the edge of a swirling vortex that would transport him to a world he had only heard about in legends: Earth.

The journey was jarring and disorienting, and when Alexander finally emerged from the vortex, he found himself standing in the middle of a crowded city street. The noise and chaos of the city were overwhelming, and Alexander was filled with a sense of dread and despair. He had no friends, no family, and no magical abilities to protect himself in this strange new world.

As he wandered through the streets, Alexander tried to make sense of this new world he had been thrust into. The buildings were tall and made of strange materials that he had never seen before. The people were dressed in clothes that seemed both outlandish and mundane, and they all seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere.

Alexander was particularly fascinated by the vehicles that zoomed past him on the street. They were nothing like the magical carriages he had ridden back in Aranthia. They were loud and smelled of oil and gasoline, and they moved so fast that Alexander could barely keep up with them.

Despite his bewilderment, Alexander was also filled with a sense of wonder at the sights and sounds of Earth. He had always been curious about the world beyond Aranthia, and now he had been given the chance to explore it firsthand. He spent hours wandering through the city, taking in all the sights and sounds, and marveling at the wonders of this new world.

As the days turned into weeks, Alexander began to adapt to life on Earth. He learned how to speak the language of the locals, and he even managed to find a job at a local diner. It wasn't the kind of work he was used to, but he was grateful for the opportunity to earn some money and learn more about this new world.

Despite his growing familiarity with Earth, Alexander never forgot his true home in Aranthia. He missed the magic and wonder of his old world, and he longed to find a way back. But he knew that it was unlikely he would ever be able to return. The vortex that had brought him to Earth had been a one-way trip, and as far as he knew, there was no way to open it again.

Alexander resigned himself to a life on Earth, but he never lost his sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around him. He spent his days exploring the city, talking to the locals, and soaking up as much knowledge as he could. And even though he knew that he would never be able to return to Aranthia, he took comfort in the fact that he had found a new home on Earth.

One day, while Alexander was on his way to work, he noticed a group of children playing in the park. They were laughing and chasing each other, and for a moment, Alexander was transported back to his childhood in Aranthia. He felt a pang of sadness as he remembered the friends he had left behind, but he was also filled with a sense of hope. Maybe he could make new friends on Earth, too.