Ebony {part 1 of The Return of Magic}

Ebony

Spider threads caught at her face, a sign that no one had been there yet. Ebony smiled, excited at her discovery. She stepped further into the thin passageway; where it led, she didn't know or care. The cave itself was a magnificent, glowing spectacle of crystals, but this obviously-man-made tunnel was much more intriguing. Feeling along the wall, Ebony grimaced. She hated the dark, especially the dark, sucking black night could get to. The tunnel appeared to be a shade beyond that, were it even possible.

Ebony hurried along, hoping to get to the end of the tunnel and back before anyone noticed she was missing. The Dynix supervisors wouldn't like a student going off by herself, especially on a field trip. Knowing her luck, the teachers had already realized Ebony was missing. Not that she particularly cared about the teachers. They couldn't do anything-- the Dynix had the power to punish. And the Dynix, as the government, had almost no restrictions. They could search the entire known world for her.

Yet despite that, Ebony still moved forward. She was determined to see what laid at the end, no matter what it cost her. As she moved even further into the black, Ebony noticed it became slightly lighter. Was she almost out of the cave?

Deeper and deeper she crept, the air frigid. Something resonated within the tunnel now, sending shivers through Ebony's spine. The feeling was welcoming, alluring. By now, the tunnel was lit up enough so that she could make out every rock on the walls. But it wasn't moonlight, like she thought it had been. No, it was a murky, grey light. Ebony gasped when she saw the narrow passage open into an uncannily round room. In the center was a dais, where the light was coming from.

A small gem was laying on the dais, attached to a silvery chain. Ebony crept forward of her own accord, unable to resist. The closer she got, the more the gem shone. Brighter, brighter it grew until the room was white. Ebony reached out, her hand closing around the small gem and its chain. Instantly, a flash echoed in the dark. Ebony breathed in slowly as all the light disappeared back into the gem. She stumbled back to the tunnel entrance, almost running now. She felt sick, but it was a good feeling. At least, she thought so. Tucking the gem into her pocket skillfully, Ebony hurried out of the tunnel and caught up with the rest of her group, pretending to admire the shiny blue and pink and orange gems that mysteriously glowed.

The teachers glanced back at her when they realized she was there again, but Ebony paid them no mind. Her thoughts were on the gem in her pocket-- why had she grabbed it again? Something was amiss; Ebony could not figure out why she had taken the gem, now that she wasn't in direct contact with it. There was nothing like this anywhere else in all of Daezael, that she remembered. According to the Dynix, everything was the product of technology and science. Ebony reached into her pocket and touched the gem again.

'Ebony... A fitting name. The Dynix are liars... This is magic, not science.' The alluring feeling was back. The voice itself was feminine, comforting. Like a lost mother hugging her child. Ebony almost didn't pull away, but the mention of magic had surprised her.

"Magic..." she whispered. Ebony blinked, then stopped swiftly. Everyone had stopped moving. The Dynix supervisors were glancing around, their eyes wide. It was then the rumble could be heard. It sounded as though something had collapsed, and Ebony had a guess what it was. The tunnel, she thought. It must have collapsed now that the gem isn't there. I bet whoever made it set the gemstone as a trap. The person who picked it up would be trapped in the dark chamber with it for the rest of their days.

Ebony couldn't help a small smirk, though she quickly ducked her head when a supervisor glanced her way. Her fingers slipped into her pocket again, seeking the alluring gemstone. She felt relieved to touch it, the intoxicating feeling of power flooding her veins again.

"Let's get out of here," One of the Dynix said, herding all the students back the way they came. Ebony followed like usual; only this time, she felt different than the flock of students. Not outwardly-- she was still blonde and brown-eyed-- but inwardly. Everything appeared uniquely now, like she had been looking through dirty glass before.

As the rest of the student flock slipped onto the buses, Ebony paused. Did she really want to go back to her school, where she wouldn't do anything but be brainwashed?

"Hey, get onto the bus!" One of the Dynix supervisors had seen her stop. Ebony's hand was tight around the gem, and she smiled cruelly.

"I don't want to," She stated, turning to face him. The supervisor jerked his head back, like he had been stung. Never had any student done that before. He quickly masked his surprise again, and this time stepped forward.

"Get onto the bus, girl." He snarled, glaring with his icy eyes. Ebony only smiled wider. Her chocolate brown eyes had shifted darker, now almost black against her pale skin. The gem purred in approval, and Ebony tilted her head.

"And you're gonna make me?" She asked delicately, savoring the moment.

"If I have to. The Dynix don't take kindly to rebels," The man threatened. Ebony laughed a high-pitched, bone-chilling giggle. Her eyes appeared to grow a shade darker, and she was grinning evilly.

"Tenebrae vos," She spoke, "inepte." At her words, the shadows lashed out; in an instant, the man was bound by the black. He gasped as the shadows gripped tighter and began to drag him down into his own shadow.

"HELP!" He screamed, his gaze blurring at imaginary horrors. The shadow at his feet snapped hungrily at his body, eager to finish the first morsel in over a thousand years. More Dynix supervisors hurried out, drawn by their comrade's cry. When they saw the girl, dark power resonating around her, their eyes widened and they froze in fear.

Ebony laughed, pulling the gem out to tie it around her neck. Magic was finally back in play in Daezael, and the dark was the first to return. She had lost all her reason, taken over by the mysterious gem that now hung around her throat, always touching her skin. The dark was a good thing, to her. Ebony felt the power flood her again, this time like a tidal wave.

'I am the dark. I am the night. I am the true power in this land!'