Grendilton: Rise of the Shadows

1 | The Moon Mage.

Ten thousand years later.

Sunlight beamed onto the metal cladding of the institute, creating a harmonious warmth to circulate in the air. Cherry blossoms swirled in the warm wind, dancing at the feet of those who walked the courtyards. Students from all across Amberguarde shuffled about, creating an echo of excitement to fill the sound waves.

One of the students, was twenty year old Macey Russells, the reincarnation of the benevolent moon mage who saved the world and brought forth the light that their world desperately needed. She roamed the halls of the institute with her head held high, gripping tightly on the straps of her bag in nervousness.

She bit her bottom lip, her brow creasing in uncertainty. "I can't believe I'm here," she told herself, grinning from ear to ear. An urge to spin around occurred in her mind as she tilted her head back, rotating on the balls of her feet, her eyes set solidly on the clear blue skies above. Her tie dye shirt skimmed along her stomach, and she felt the gentle breeze shift through the multitude of rips in her black skinny jeans.

Macey felt happiness and glee. In this moment, she felt like her dreams were finally coming true, and her goals to drift away from her past were successful.

A pang of agony echoed in her heart. 'We love you so much,' she remembered her foster mother saying, recollecting the giant loving smile the woman was well known for, Macey felt heat float against her cheeks. The words were comforting and it gave her a sense of meaning and determination.

She then halted before her first lecture. Her hands developed a cold sweat. The tattoos along her body had a light sheen against the crystal light that hovered above her. She gulped and twisted the adornments across her arm in a state of nervousness and tossed her long curly hair back behind her shoulders.

Macey took a deep breath in. "I'm ready," she exclaimed to herself. "Whatever this institute throws at me — I'll take it on, full steam ahead."

She surveyed the long stony stairwell before her, trudging down tensely with her hands fidgeting against one another. An icy  chill crept up her spine, her honey coloured eyes reflecting off the waters that spiralled above her. She felt a subtle gust of wind brush along her freckle covered cheeks as she stood in the centre of her lecture hall, stifling her gasp with the palm of her hand.

"Wow," said Macey, examining the swirling gales that surrounded her.

The entire lecture hall was submerged underwater with a thin layer of wind magic keeping the furious rushing waters from crashing down onto the marble floor beneath her feet. As she walked more into the room, she watched the cerulean light above her drown away her very shadow, with the other students around her being engulfed in its brightness. The hum of everyone around her echoed in her ear, with accents such as Brextian, Spectia and even Metzia.

"Look," said a student. They pointed at Macey, who pouted at the wary person, their stares directly towards the birthmark on her neck.

Many thoughts entangled her mind. She began to regret not covering her obvious mark with a scarf, or dabbing it with makeup. 'Another tattoo would have been cool,'  she thought, running her thumb over the multitude of body art she had collected over the years. She listened carefully. The way everyone began to speak about her and the god like powers she held or the fact that she could obliterate anyone with the flick of her fingers made her want to leave.