A New Alpha

Chapter Eighteen

Practice and focus on something enough and it starts to seem like it's no longer a question of if it'll happen, but rather when. Hope for the desired change isn't some elusive and flighty emotion, but instead, it becomes a solid landmark in day-to-day life.

That's how thoughts of shifting had become for Lynx. He'd expected to use magic  for the first time during some independent morning study session... He had thought it would happen in a private practice room, or maybe in his dorm in the evening before bed...

Instead, his first magic awakening had started on his way to General Agility class, or that's what he thought. There was pain in his stomach and a feeling of lightheadedness and vertigo. There was a sense of panic also. Not entirely knowing what was happening. It all started so suddenly.

He'd been exploring the forested area on the fourth-floor courtyard. He'd taken up a habit of walking after lunch. It seemed that hour was his only free time in her day. The walks allowed him an outlet for stress.

When he was out exploring, he felt at peace. He felt like himself again. Who he had been before he became an orphan, and made to carry the low ranking, and endure the sadness, and lack of respect that accompanied it.

He felt worlds away from the school and the challenge and hardship that accompanied it.

Spring had taken root, and yet his efforts resulted in underwhelming progress in Lynx's mind. It didn't matter to him that he was essentially human running in a witches race. It mattered that the opportunity was there for him. One of the few opportunities that had been granted to her thus far in his life.

He was glad Landon wasn't there when the first awakening started. He wasn't sure why... just that it seemed like a private thing. A potentially embarrassing thing. He was a long way from the forest, in the open, grassy space between where the class would start, and the open seating area where students sometimes hung out during breaks, or after class.

He couldn't be sure if it was lucky that there were only about fifteen students in the area or if it was unlucky that it didn't happen when he was in a private practice or study room, or even in her dorm room... Especially when so much of his time was spent in those places.

He turned to return to the forest that he'd come from, but it was too far away. The pain in his stomach intensified. He sat down. It wasn't like he fell to his knees, but rather.. intentionally sat down on the grass.. as if he was going to stop there and eat a granola bar or something. Maybe this way.. maybe this way others wouldn't notice anything is wrong.

This didn't feel right.. gaining your magic isn't meant to feel like this, somethings wrong...

'whats happening to me,' said the voice in his mind.

Lynx wasn't sure what happened. He might have blacked out, he was laying down in the grass now though. He rolled to hid side and vomited. His vision blurred.

There were some shouts from a distance off.

'Maybe someone else passed out and collapsed and made a big scene, Lynx thought, a bit desperately. He imagined them yelling and rushing towards someone else allowing him to be alone and more comfortable. And in the private space of his mind, he could be.

He'd always heard that the first awakening was easy and magical. Though it felt the opposite, agonizing pain in the bones, and muscles as they twisted and moved on its own... Why was it like this.

It was entirely different then what he'd been told.

He felt like he was sinking in a vast, moving lake. A lake full of dark, cold water that seemed to seep through his skin, and muscles to pull him into the Darkness, The warmth in his bones seemed to ease the pain somehow.

11:31 pm

Lynx couldn't be sure how long it took... but it didn't seem to matter here in this lake of cold darkness. He could feel his body changing.. but it wasn't like one arm first and then one leg, but instead everything shifted in such a slight way... like sand falling from the top of an hourglass to change the mound of sand that was below.

His muscles move of their own accord. Like a twitch, but aggressively, and more constant, like the feeling one might get placing their hand on nails as a low, intense, shaky note was played. As if the frequency vibrated through his muscles, then deep in his bones. His whole body seemed the hum with the radiant energy and power of it. His very being seemed to shift in ways he never could have thought.

He couldn't be sure what would come of it, but it didn't seem to matter. All that mattered was the moment and the feeling. All that mattered was the energy and sheer power of his transformation.

Through bleary eyes, he could see a small crowd of students had gathered around him. He could sense them in the space around him. Their whispering knitted through the air and seemed to hover over the space like a thick blanket.

And yet them being there didn't matter. Only hours ago, he would have felt bothered by it. But now in this new form with this new awareness, the students and their gossiping might have been a world away.

For Lynx, all there was, was sensation, freedom, and a radiant sense of power. And it was incredible.

What's happening to me, what am I?

Huge thank you for reading, commenting, voting, and sharing!

Your responses to this story have been amazing