Felix is stuck in a never-ending cycle of job applications, rejection letters, and the crushing weight of existential dread. When a job offer magically appears in his inbox with a salary so ridiculously high it could pay off his student loans and bu...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
With a clap of Cain's hands, the two were thrown into the air and–Felix hit his head on a desk. What the fuck???
"Wait." He eyed the bemused man, who tilted his head. Hold on.
"YOU CAN TELEPORT??" He screamed, flailing his hands around. The Wishmaker slowly raised his hands in defense. "Teach me."
"Woah there, man. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Magic is as much about patience and practice as it is about power. It's your first day," Cain helped him up, but he unfortunately ducked and avoided a well aimed strike to his stomach for making the two walk all damn day. "You gotta, like, build up."
Felix rolled his eyes. "Fine. So, what's next? More practice with the pendant, or are we moving on to the part where I," He stared at a painting of a battalion. "Grant some war crimes?"
"Actually," Cain said, "I think it's time for you to see a bit more of what we do here. There's a lot more to Wishmaking than just the basics. We have a whole set of trials that test different aspects of your abilities."
Felix's stomach twisted a bit, but the earlier warmth seemed to better his mood. "Trials, huh? Sounds like the plot of a bad fantasy novel."
Cain raised an eyebrow. "And yet, here you are. They're designed to push you and see how you handle various challenges. They help us figure out how to best support and train you–and how you, of course, can help others."
"Support and train?" Felix asked. "You mean, like, make sure I don't accidentally set myself on fire before I can even grant a wish?"
"Exactly," Cain replied. "And also to make sure you understand the responsibilities that come with it. Wish magic is powerful, and with great power comes—"
"Yeah, yeah," Felix interrupted with a smirk. "Great responsibility. I've heard that one before."
Cain snorted. "Something like that. Weird as everything is, we do have structure."
As they walked back through the courtyard, Felix couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement mixed with apprehension. His hands felt clammy, but the memory of that fire played over and over in his mind. It felt unreal. It felt beautiful.
They approached a building that looked like a cross between an old castle and a...modern training facility? Cain led him inside, where there was, unsurprisingly, no people, but the lights in the smooth interior flickered on immediately.
He could feel his pendant tingling, then glowing with a shimmering blue, etched runes shaking, phasing in and out.
"Welcome to your third trial." Seriously?
Cain laughed at his scrunched face. His bracelets rattled too, flashing red and yellow. An emblem of the sun in his chest flashed warningly. What a show off.
