Our Soul Nexus

Chapter One

The swirl of spring air always smelled so sweet in the mornings. It was a combination of freshly watered cress and grass plants, blossoming flowers, and of course, magic.

Magic filled aspects of the senses in one way or another almost constantly for those who held an affinity with the arcane. Through scents in the air, tastes in the food, and sounds in the distance, there was always some sort of inkling of magic that one could pay attention to.

Ayben was well attuned with these senses. As part of his first year at the Dressdardon magic academy, he had learned to pay attention to his magical perception in relation to his Primordial magic. He had expected to struggle with the teachings, as he had often been lacking in his magical power development, however, Ayben completed his Primordial magic training within the first six months, leaving him with a significant amount of time left in the year for practice. This was good for him, since his academic studies needed the extra attention.

Each sorcerer born with an affinity for magic can learn to wield three types of magic: Primordial, Celestial and Soul Bound.

Ayben had spent most of his year crafting his Primordial magic techniques with occasional attention spent on Celestial magic. This year, he wanted to try the third - Soul Bound.

The academy corridors had gotten slightly less daunting over the past year that Ayben had been navigating them, though the frequently shifting magical power surrounding the academy was something that always set Ayben on edge. It was more noticeable when he would return from a visit home or the markets. The thick and heavy atmosphere, though not necessarily unpleasant, still weighed on him more than anywhere else. It made him feel like there was an immense wealth of power at everyone's disposal, including his own.

Perhaps he was nervous that others would feel it too and take advantage of it. Or maybe it was the looming challenge that had been on his mind for weeks, months even, causing him to question his strength at every turn. The one thing he had been working on towards ever since he started at Dressdardon was the one thing he aimed to attain today.

Mirror Familiars.

The concept had first reached him in his second week of school, but he had been hearing about mirror familiars his whole life. His mother, both his biological and adoptive one, had familiars. Many of the adults he met while growing up had them too and he always thought they were special. With this knowledge, it came with stories of one's familiar passing away and what it could do to someone's magic and mental fortitude. It scared him and seemed like a painful thing to have in your life...and yet it fascinated him.

But most of all, it was something he knew he couldn't live without.

In this world, magic was the ultimate road to power and protection against danger. The more magic control one has, the better survival one has against dangerous forces. Ayben already had Primordial magic in his favor, and he was working on his Celestial magic; he now needed Soul Bound magic and that could only be obtained through a Soul-Pact with a Mirror Familiar, then he could complete everything he wanted to.

He would start off with keeping his siblings safe from the dangers that he couldn't escape back then. He wasn't strong nor knowledgeable enough when he was a child to fight off the people who had taken his childhood away. But just because he couldn't change his past didn't mean he couldn't protect the future of his siblings.

There were already dozens of students waiting outside the Ceremony Chamber in the hall. Most were huddled in groups with friends, looking excited, confident, weary, or downright anxious. Ayben didn't know how to feel. 

He was definitely worried that he wouldn't be soul-bound to a familiar today, but he was also sure that his path wouldn't end here. He felt there had to be more he could achieve at this point in his life, he just hoped he was worthy of accomplishing it.