SPELLBOUND

1.01: Face Forward

2007, EARTH

Jason Warren gasps for air as the unpleasant scent of ozone overpowers his respiratory system. Down on his hands and knees, gravel and broken glass cut into him relentlessly, and he struggles to get back to his feet. The wind blows at unimaginable speeds, pushing him back down every time he tries to get up.

"Stay strong, my boy!" Jason's father shouts at him. Jason tilts his head up and watches as his father reinforces the shield spell protecting them. "We're going to protect you, no matter what! Just stay behind us!" Wincing with every movement, Jason turns to his mother, who shoots him a reassuring smile before going back to work on the shield spells. Her hands move almost too fast for him to see, forming various shapes by bending her fingers and balling her fists over and over again in an attempt to hold off their attacker. A loud roar makes Jason tuck his head between his knees and wail. The thunderous footsteps drawing near let him know that the monster attacking them is probably only a few yards ahead of him, but he can't bring himself to look up.

"Where are the reinforcements?" His mother cries over the rumbling. "The Convalescence team all died twenty minutes ago and I haven't heard a thing from Impartment yet. I think we should just leave while we have the chance."

"No, Mr. Blackwood gave us our orders." Mr. Warren barks. "We need to . . . wait, what's it doing?" Jason looks up to see what his father means. He finally catches a glimpse of the monster attacking them, and instantly freezes up. It's a large, writhing, neon mass of tentacles and mouths with razor sharp teeth. It towers several stories over them, knocking out parts of buildings and swatting helicopters out of the sky at random.

But even more strange is the glow coming out of its mouths. It grows brighter and brighter, and appears to be charging up something. Whatever it's doing, Jason's parents realize before he do. They turn to him and continue hand signing and casting, but this time the shield forms between him and them.

"Mom? Dad?" Jason stands up, confused. He's no longer being pushed down by strong winds, and the ground beneath him suddenly calms. It's as if he's inside a bubble, cut off from the chaos surrounding him. He realizes in terror that his parents put a shield around themselves and the monster, and that it's about to explode along with them. Jason bangs on the shield, pleading and crying for his parents to come out.

"Please! Don't go! Come back!" Jason begs them. But no matter how hard he cries, they refuse to budge.

"We need more people to cast an outward shield, sweetheart." His mother says shakily. Tears stream from her eyes, but she doesn't stop casting. "With just your father and I, we can only cast shields around us, not on something else. This is the only way to save you and everyone else on this block. I'm so - " Before Mrs. Warren can get out her final apology, the monster behind her explodes, instantly killing her and her husband. Jason opens his mouth to scream, but all he can get out is a weak croak before he's back on his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

2019, EARTH

Jason snaps awake at the sound of his alarm going off. Sighing, he sits up in the bed and buries his face in his hands. He hasn't had nightmares about his parents' deaths in years, but it only makes sense that they would come back now. Today, he starts classes at Sanity Academy, the number one post-secondary magic school on the planet. It specializes in pushing students down the right-hand path of magic, a path that focuses on curing the world of its ailments and maintaining a stable planet. The left-hand path, however, which lurks in the slums and alleyways of cities, wants nothing but disorder and madness. They're the people that cause attacks like the one that killed Jason's parents.

As he gets up to get ready, Jason catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His hair that was once dyed electric blue is now a dull purple, and his stubble is beginning to grow out of control. The bags under his eyes have faded over the past few days, thankfully, letting his boyish face shine like it used to.