Empty- An Angsty Magisterium Fanfic- No Pairings

Call Wants to Live- That's Too Bad, Sorry Call.

He knew that he wouldn't be able to dodge it. What they said was true. Time seemed to slow down when you were about to die. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tamara reaching towards him, arms outstretched, a desperate sort of look in her eyes. The mantra came back to him.

Fire wants to burn.

Water wants to flow.

Air wants to rise.

Earth wants to bind.

Call wants to live.

'Oh yeah,' Call thought hazily. He almost laughed. 'I wanted to live.'

And that was the last thought that entered his mind before blinding white light filled his vision, and then- he saw nothing at all.

"NO!" Tamara shouted as she watched her friend fall before her eyes. As the pulsating ball of magic slammed into Call, a wave of heat sent Tamara flying backwards and tumbling through the air. Aaron, hearing her shout, was startled out of his battle trance. He looked around in bewilderment, eyes riveting to the limp form in the cold grass.

"Call!" The both of them rushed over to their friend, fearing the worst.

The worst was true. Callum Hunt did not move, even when they shook him. No breath slipped past his lips. His eyes stared blankly into space, as they often had when he was alive- But there was a kind of tired look to them, as though he had been struggling for a very long time and had finally been forced to give up. Aaron hesitantly placed a hand on his still warm chest, where his heart should have been beating with a strong and steady rhythm. But there was nothing. Just... nothing. He shook his head slowly at Tamara, eyes wide.

They knelt by his unmoving body in shock for a few moments, the sounds of the battle and Alex's maniacal laughter fading away, into a world with just the three of them- Three children who were way too young to be experiencing this kind of thing- But here they were, two kids and the corpse of their best friend. Tamara was the first to speak, clutching Call's hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She murmured, clenching her teeth and blinking rapidly to hold back the onslaught of tears, "I could have made it in time. If only I'd made it in time..."

Aaron brushed his fingers over Call's eyelids, closing them so that he wouldn't have to look at nothing. He felt as empty as the body next to him. Legs giving out, he collapsed on the grass, curling himself into a little ball. Was this even happening? Could this be happening? Maybe this was all just a bad dream, and when he woke up, he'd be safe and warm in his bed at the Magisterium. The food would look weird but be delicious, Tamara would be bossy as usual, Master Rufus would be stern, and Call would be his usual cynical, gloomy, hilarious self.

But, shutting his eyes, tears beading through the closed lids, something told Aaron that things wouldn't be that way when he opened his eyes again.