A Land of Magic: Mahika

PREVIEW

This is a Fantasy-Mystery novel that takes place in a hidden land that's supposed to be peaceful and balanced. However, someone attempted to distraught it by plotting schemes and covered it with another.

This preview will serve as a chapter where some clues will be stated. 

This is a work of fiction/fantasy. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2024, SagittarianJoy

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PREVIEW CHAPTER: MAHIKA

'It all started in one singularity, then it expanded, contracted, and so forth. With one massive explosion, the universe was said to have been born. 

A land of magic, a land of tragic. With a land as mysterious as the heavens and the seas, no wonder humans never felt at ease. 

As their greed expanded, their territories found place. Building kingdoms after their names, plotting schemes that sounded too lame. 

With wars armoring the said lands, their faith shielded their sense of right. To whom do they pray? To the gods that let their children suffer for a brick of a day?

With the people seeking refuge, a land of magic was sealed. So mysterious yet free, no one had ever seen them in pity.'

"It is such a pity," the maids whispered to an ear to another, gossiping about a Lady in high society. "She's too young to be sent to an asylum!"

"Shh! Lord Endevane is sensitive these days! She's his favorite grandchild after all!" 

They lowered their voices, crouching down as their lips went sealed. The moment a man walked through the entrance with a briefcase in his hand, they pretended to be occupied by their duties, yet their ears were all perked up. 

He wears a brown coat and hat that concealed his stoic expression, entering the room after pushing the door open. 

As the wooden door creaked, an old man with eyes of emeralds glared at his entrance. Lord Endevane, although he has white hair due to age, maintained his sharp and bickering tongue. 

"Any clues?" 

The man who just entered a second ago decided to close the door, locking in the leaking sounds. As this old man seemed to be irritated today, he chose to mock this supposed esteemed man. 

"Lord Sky, I wonder how someone with a commoner's blood married a Lady?" 

Lord Endevane snorted, sitting on a one-person couch without offering a seat to his guest. Lord Clarkson Sky, nonetheless, put his hat down and spoke with politeness. 

"With all due respect, I love my wife and she loved me equally. If you may, I have found two clues already." 

Lord Clarkson sat on the opposite couch, revealing his black hair and mist-gray eyes that complemented his mischievous smile. Lord Endevane noticed Lord Clarkson maintaining a straight face and a polite tone, yet dared to tease him as well. 

"Continue..."

Lord Endevane only grumbled, watching Lord Clarkson put on gloves before opening his briefcase. 

"I obtained a torn piece of paper made of an unknown material. Moreover, this writing is not a code but an ancient word."

He pointed at the ink with a subtle glow. The paper appeared to have the texture of leaves yet felt different from other papers compared to it.
 
"Unknown material? How is it unknown?" 

Lord Endevane was baffled, grabbing a handkerchief in his pocket while picking up the paper. 

"Believe me, Lord Endavane. I, too, was surprised when I examined this paper."

As Lord Endevane hummed, Lord Clarkson placed a fine silk fabric that had golden sprinkles and linings. Although it had traces of dust and dirt, it was obvious to their eyes that it came from the Flavius Household. 

"I see you also had the same reaction as mine."

Lord Clarkson took a glimpse of Lord Endevane's reaction, pulling out the image of a lad in his teenage year. That lad wore the same fabric, making Lord Endevane shiver. 

"I-Impossible," he gulped. 

"What was Lady Serene's statement to the Bureau of Private Eyes?" 

Lord Clarkson straightened his back, watching the dulling expression of Lord Endevane. He patiently waited for his response, linking his hands while inwardly sighing. 

"S-She said, 'I saw Young Lord Russelle!'..."

"Precisely," Lord Clarkson nodded to agree. "What happened two years ago was not a secret to conceal; however is controversial enough to poke the Flavius on an edge."

He paused momentarily, wondering if he thought of it wrongly. 

"But, no one actually saw the Young Lord."

"Are you suggesting he's alive?"

Lord Endevane clenched his fists, glaring at Lord Clarkson. Their conversation was beyond logic, making Lord Endevane think of Lord Clarkson as stupid. Yet there were mysteries that he could not explain to himself. He did know that Lady Serene, his granddaughter, wouldn't lie or prank them like that. 

He then looked back at Lord Clarkson who was already smiling with a thrilled expression. Lord Endevane pursed his lips, just now recalling that he is friends with a Lady named Rosalinda Flores Perez-Rose. Both of them are beyond average people. 

"That's one possibility..."

Lord Endevane felt his limbs jolt, gripping the armrest. 

"... Or, he's haunting as a ghost with unfinished business."

'So mysterious yet free, no one had ever seen them in pity. When the skies get duller, they'll see no sun and blame the weather. 

As they covered a lie with another, it blossomed into the truth. Or perhaps people simply chose to be mute.'

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July 15, 2024