I stepped out into the heart of the human district. Yeah, the magical quarters and the areas where regular folks lived were kept separate.
Odinary—that’s the name of the town where I grew up. Nothing special about it. Everywhere you look, it’s all gray: the cobblestones, the squat little houses, the roofs. The only pops of color came from shop windows, advertising signs, and the occasional flowerbed. Here and there, trees grew in big clay pots.
It was even kind of pretty, especially in summer and spring. Still, it’s hard to compare Odinary to the magical districts. Over there, everything looked like a painting in a museum: evergreen gardens, magical lanterns everywhere, white castles, enchanted cafés and coffee shops. Even so, I never got used to the over-the-top grandeur of Ankeni, the city of mages.
Popping out of a portal in the middle of a street was never a good idea in a human town. For starters, regular people don’t like mages, and they like it even less when one of their own gets a magical gift.
Fear mixed with envy never did anyone any good. Back in the day, people like me were hunted down or sold to dark mages. I bet even now there’d be plenty of folks willing to trade me for a fat stack of cash.
Grabbing my suitcase, I marched determinedly down an alley lined with trendy shops. People shied away from me like I had the plague, but it didn’t bother me anymore.
“I should get Grandma some sweets…” I thought, ducking into a small bakery.
While I was eyeing the display, I felt someone practically boring a hole into the back of my head with their stare.
I turned around and saw Lloyd Henrikson with his wife. Ugh, just my luck!
My ex-fiancé.
I never thought I’d run into him like this, in my old dress with a beat-up suitcase. But then again, when has anything ever gone my way?
Lloyd Henrikson—son of a wealthy factory owner. I’d known him since we were teenagers. The first guy who ever kissed me, my first and only man. There he stood, so close, yet he felt like a ghost from my past.
Looking at his stocky build, broad shoulders, blue eyes, and full lips that could’ve belonged to a girl, I was glad I never got pregnant. I can’t even imagine what would’ve happened to me if I had!
My gift awakened right before our wedding. People couldn’t stop gossiping about our mismatched engagement.
Of course they did—a girl as poor as a church mouse, working as a waitress, living with her grandma. My parents died ten years ago during an outbreak of red fever. What a cruel twist of fate! If it happened now, I could’ve healed them with ease!
Before the ceremony, I thought I couldn’t be happier. That is, until sparks shot from my fingers and every dish in the café where I worked shattered. Even then, I didn’t believe it. But when a representative from the academy showed up at our house, there was no point in denying it.
I don’t know what I was hoping for—true love, maybe? God, I was so naive!
He didn’t even come to tell me himself. He just sent a servant with a letter. In short, harsh sentences, it said we couldn’t get married and that I shouldn’t even try to see him. Just like that.
Marrying a poor girl was one thing, but marrying a witch—as people started calling me—was a whole different story.
I gave Lloyd and his wife a slow nod and turned away. I quickly bought some rolls and chocolate cookies, then stepped back onto the street. My heart was pounding like crazy in my chest. No, I didn’t love him anymore, but something stirred deep inside me. Resentment. Yeah, that’s all it was!
It was a long walk to the house I shared with my grandma. We lived almost at the edge of town, near the border with the desert. The only thing closer was the forbidden district. Housing there was the cheapest. Why? Simple—hardly anyone wanted to live next to the desert monsters that occasionally broke through the protective energy wall and attacked people.
Long ago, a powerful force emerged in the desert surrounding our kingdom, to the west and east, spawning countless monsters. Huge, predatory beasts, resistant to magic and incredibly hard to kill.
A war broke out, and eventually, the mages managed to push the predators back from our territory and create a protective energy wall. You can’t see it, but it’s there, drawing a tiny bit of energy from every mage in the country to maintain itself. You don’t even feel the loss of such a small amount of power.
Weaving through narrow streets, I was so lost in thought that I didn’t immediately hear someone calling my name.
“Flora! Flora! Wait up!”
Damn it, Lloyd! What kind of day is this?
I spun around to face him.
“What do you want?” I asked bluntly.
He stopped right in front of me.
“To talk.”
“About what?”
“About us.”
“Us?” I echoed, surprised. “What us? There is no us. Looks like you didn’t stay sad for long,” I said, nodding at the wide wedding band on his left hand.
“That doesn’t matter, Flora! I want you just as much as I did back then!” He stepped closer, grabbed me in his arms, and pressed his lips against mine.
Disgust surged through me. I tried to push him away, but it didn’t work. So, I hit him with the power boiling inside me. He staggered back but didn’t fly off or fall like people usually do in combat magic classes. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
Lloyd gave me a nasty grin.
“That won’t work, my dear!” He tugged at a cord around his neck and pulled out a pendant.
I’d seen that rune in a book of protective runes and spells. So that’s how it is!
“Looks like you came prepared. But trust me, if you come near me again, that little trinket won’t help you. I’ll knock your face in without magic. Just try me!”
“We’ll see about that, sweetheart. If you’re worried about money, no problem—I can pay you.”
That was the last straw. I gathered my magical energy, traced a strike rune in the air, and aimed it at his stomach. Lloyd flew back, slammed into a wall, and slumped onto the cobblestones with a groan.
“Shove your money where the sun don’t shine!”
He spat out blood and glared at me with hatred.
“You’ll regret this, you cursed witch!”
“Oh, I already do, Lloyd! I regret ever being stupid enough to love you, and sleeping with you? That was the real mistake!”
“You think so? Didn’t seem like it when you were moaning under me!”
“Go to hell! You’re no better than the other idiots who think magic is evil. And you’re a coward! You didn’t even have the guts to tell me to my face that the wedding was off. I truly despise you. Stay away from me!”
With that, I turned and practically ran home. My lips still burned, and a tight, hot knot twisted in my stomach. No, I hadn’t forgotten! Not completely forgotten how good it used to be. But the past needs to stay in the past.
A small house with tiny windows, a patched-up, crooked roof, but carefully whitewashed—that was my home. Just two rooms and a kitchen. A garden with fruit trees and a vegetable patch where Grandma and I grew our food. There were times when, if it weren’t for that patch, we would’ve starved. So, I knew the value of land, no matter how little we had.
I approached the door and reached out to open it when Grandma came out to meet me.
Eleanor Frankivna—that’s her name. A tall, stately woman, still beautiful despite the deep wrinkles on her face. She wore a white blouse and a long blue skirt, her gray hair tucked under a floral scarf.
When she saw me, she clapped her hands, and her blue eyes lit up with joy.
“Finally, you’re home! I was starting to think they’d worked you to death at that academy!” She smiled wide and hugged me.
“Hey, Grandma! They didn’t work me to death, but I’m not here for long.”
She pulled back and looked at me.
“You wrote that you’d be working at the magical clerk’s office all summer and could come home on weekends.”
“Yeah, but plans changed.”
“How so? Did they kick you out?!” she asked, horrified.
By the way, Grandma was the only one who was thrilled when my gift awakened. She said at least her granddaughter could escape this godforsaken town.
“No, of course not! Let’s have some tea, and I’ll tell you everything.” I shook the bag of cookies and rolls.
Grandma set the table, and while we ate, I filled her in.
“Well, Flora, it’s a bit strange, but hey, you’ll get to see real elves!”
I nearly snorted.
I decided not to mention that I’d already met one.
“They say their cities are so beautiful you can’t take your eyes off them. And this is the capital! What an opportunity! I’m glad you agreed, my girl.”
“I saw Lloyd with his wife…” I blurted out, desperate to change the subject.
Grandma pursed her lips. She never liked Lloyd. Thought he was lazy and dumb. Now, it was obvious she’d been right.
“That pompous upstart? Not long ago, he showed up here at my house. Practically got down on his knees, begging for your address. But you know me—I kicked him out. Spineless slug!”
She slammed her hand on the table in anger, making the dishes jump.
“Well, good thing you didn’t tell him.”
We spent the rest of the day tending to the vegetable patch. Over dinner, I answered a ton of questions. Grandma wanted to know everything, from the subjects we studied to what I did in my free time. Sure, I’d written to her about all this, but she preferred hearing it in person.
“So, are there any cute professors?” she finally asked.
“Oh, Grandma! Even if there are, I doubt they’d give me a second glance.”
She snorted.
“And why not?! You’re beautiful—could be a painting!”
“I don’t think so. Anyway, I’m not an aristocrat or some wealthy person who got a gift. To them, I’m just a girl in awful old dresses who had the audacity to get a little magic.”
“Don’t talk nonsense, my dear! Only a fool would think about stuff like that when they look at you!”
I didn’t want to argue, so I changed the subject. We chatted a bit more before heading to our rooms.
A bed covered with a pink blanket embroidered with blue flowers, a tall, old wardrobe, a small blue rug on the floor, and a worn desk and chair by the window—that’s all there was in my room.
I traced a rune in the air, and magical lights flickered on under the ceiling. Feeling exhausted, I sat on the bed.
Grandma always says I’m pretty, but I don’t see it.
Tall, too skinny. No curves to speak of, no full chest or wide hips. The only things that seemed truly beautiful were my eyes and my thick, long, light brown hair.
Lloyd always said no one else had violet eyes like mine, framed by thick, dark lashes.
Clearly, that wasn’t enough.
So, I had no intention of relying on my looks for anything.
Slipping out of my dress, I washed up and put on a nightgown. Grabbing a comb, I sat by the window, let down my braid, and started brushing my hair.
It always distracted me. The window offered a nice view of our little fruit orchard. The low fence around it let me see where the houses ended and the desert began in the distance.
The abandoned houses of the forbidden district, with their dark, gaping windows, kind of ruined the picture. But if you ignored the monsters inhabiting the dunes, the endless sands looked like a dark, stormy sea—something I’d sadly never seen in real life.
As the sun set, a chill crept in from the desert, making the house cold.
I was about to get up when I spotted a shadow near the gate. At first, I thought I was imagining things. Maybe it was just a tree?
Neighbors didn’t walk the streets at this hour—everyone was afraid of desert creatures attacking. They usually showed up at dusk.
I looked closer. No, it was definitely a person, probably a man.
For a while, he just stood there, looking around, then started rummaging in his pockets.
Finally, he pulled something out and waved his free hand, making the object glow. It was small, more like a pen or a thin stick. Though the light was dim, it was enough to see that the stranger wore a mask. I covered my mouth with my hand and crouched down so I couldn’t be seen from the window.
What the heck?
I peeked out carefully and saw that the man—a mage, I was sure of it now—was tracing runes with that stick. From this distance, it was hard to make out what kind.
Should I go out and try to scare him off?
Yeah, right! What if he’s some kind of criminal? He’d kill me, and that’d be the end of it.
No, better to report it to the Magical Oversight Service tomorrow.
“And what are you gonna tell them?” I asked myself. “That you saw a silhouette near your garden? Real convincing!”
For a few seconds, a runic inscription flared in the air before fading, and with it, the man disappeared.
I waited a few more minutes, then decided to go out to the garden and check if he’d left any traces.
Throwing on a robe, I crept outside quietly. I was scared, but I needed to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.
Reaching the spot where the mage had stood, I looked around. Nothing. Not even footprints in the dusty path. I closed my eyes and tried to sense a magical trace. We’d been taught how to do it—it’s not hard; the magical currents inside you naturally reach for foreign magic. Nothing. I didn’t feel a thing. Maybe I wasn’t trying hard enough? I tried again. Same result. After the tenth attempt, I gave up.
If I couldn’t sense anything, what was I supposed to tell the Oversight guards?
This was ridiculous! I saw him with my own eyes. I stood there a bit longer, then went back to my room. I’d check again in the morning.
Even when the sun lit everything up, I found nothing. No magic, no footprints.
Of course, the guards have more experience than I do. Maybe they’d find something. I didn’t want to end up a maniac’s victim again.
So, after breakfast, I headed to the checkpoint between the magical and non-magical parts of the city. That’s where the Magical Oversight Service was located.
Half an hour later, I was there. The five-story building with columns and magical statues at the entrance was striking, mostly because of the contrast. Amid the low, gray shacks, it looked like a palace.
I took a step toward the doors, and two statues instantly blocked my path.
Carved from white marble, they depicted warriors with swords. And those swords were now pointed almost directly at my face.
“Non-magical individuals are forbidden entry by law!” their voices boomed from both sides.
“Well, I’m a mage, so step aside and let me through!” I snapped.
“Touch the sword!” said the one on the right.
“Why would I do that?” I asked.
“Verification. Either do as I say, or leave.”
Mentally, I was already tearing this place apart, but I touched the sword.
It glowed with a bright green light.
The warriors exchanged a glance, lowered their weapons, and returned to their pedestals.
“You may pass, human-mage.”
I just snorted at the label and headed for the doors.
Inside, the decor was just as ostentatious as the exterior.
Leather armchairs and sofas, plush carpets, massive magical chandeliers. Behind a huge desk to the right sat a duty guard. He looked about two hundred years old. Like a mummy—no hair on his head, no spark of life in his eyes.
He glanced at me, grimaced, coughed, and finally asked in a creaky voice:
“What do you want?”
So that’s how it is? No “Good morning, miss,” or “How can I help, mage?” I clenched my teeth.
“I need to report an incident near my house.”
The man gave me an unpleasant smirk.
“What kind of incident? Brewed a love potion and came to turn yourself in?”
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting?” I exploded. “I saw a mage near my house last night. He traced runes and then disappeared!”
“And I saw the queen naked!” the guard laughed.
I felt my magic itching to burst from my fingers and hissed:
“Listen, you nasty old goat! Either take me to your boss right now, or I’ll smash your damn desk to pieces!”
“And you’ll get a hundred years for assaulting a guard. Get lost while you’re still in one piece.”
He waved his hand, and I was yanked toward the doors, which swung open on their own. I was thrown out onto the street with such force that I fell to my knees, scraping my hands.
The statues stepped down from their pedestals again. Their swords glowed red, and black wings sprouted behind them, blocking the entrance.
Great, just great! Getting to my feet, I brushed off my dress and bag. My stockings were hopelessly torn—no magic could save them! There was a hole in my skirt, though that could be sewn up.
I stormed off toward home, fuming.
I’m sure this ugly old man doesn’t talk to aristocratic mages like that! Of course not! Their families have held power and magic for generations. For them, magic isn’t a gift—it’s just everyday life. They’re born with it. I wanted to turn back and chuck something heavy through the window of that dump.
But what would that change?
Back home, I spent the day helping Grandma. She was making jam for the winter. I’ve offered countless times to do it with magic, but I always get the same response.
“What’s fine for you, my dear, is strange for me. It’s not that I’m scared, but I don’t like your magic.”
I just sighed in reply.
That evening, we had a visitor. I was weeding the garden when I saw a burly man in a blue military uniform embroidered with runes.
“Excuse me, are you Flora Killy?” he asked, studying me with blue eyes.
Not tall, but not shorter than me either. Man, what shoulders he had!
“Yes, that’s me. Can I help you?” I asked, not stopping my work.
“Yes, you came to the Magical Oversight Service this morning.” He paused, clearly choosing his words.
“Yeah, and they threw me out like I was some stray!” I snorted.
“I’m sorry about that. Sometimes Mr. Tsepes has… episodes of uncontrolled aggression, if you will.”
“Then why do you keep him there?”
“He’s a veteran, you see. Fought against the desert monsters. Anyway, I’m here because you said you saw a mage near your house.”
So I was right—the mage at the desk really was ancient. The war ended a hundred years ago.
“Yes, I saw one last night, around nine-thirty. He was standing by the gate, tracing runes with some kind of stick.”
“Can you show me where?”
I nodded, and we walked to the spot where I’d seen the man.
“I tried to sense a magical trace or at least find footprints, but there was nothing.”
The guard spent a long time examining the area. First, he tried to sense magic himself. Then he pulled out a magometer and scanned everywhere with it.
“I’m sorry, Miss Flora Killy, but there’s nothing here. If you didn’t imagine it, then this was a very powerful mage, or just someone playing a prank to scare you. Do you have any enemies?” he asked.
“Me? What enemies could I have? Do you see where I live? Who could I possibly be a threat to?”
He paused for a moment.
“True, but you were kidnapped before, and you’ve received a gift. Not everyone likes that.”
“How do you know about that?”
“Don’t be alarmed. It’s standard procedure. I checked your records.”
“Wonderful! If you don’t mind, I’ve got to get going!”
“Wait, miss, take my card, just in case. It has the coordinates for my communication crystal.”
For a second, I thought he was checking out my figure, lingering on my legs peeking out from under my tucked-up skirt. I tugged the fabric back into place and took the card.
After saying goodbye, the guard opened a portal and disappeared into it.
Grandma came running out of the house.
“And who was that handsome fella?”
“Grandma, all you care about is handsome guys! He’s a guard.”
“Guard or not, what shoulders he’s got! And I saw the way he was looking at you!”
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
“Who’s talking nonsense? It’s high time you got married!”
“No, thanks. I’m fine as I am.”
Grandma threw her hands up.
“Can you believe it? She’s fine, she says! I’m not a mage—I won’t live two hundred years! I’ll die without ever seeing my grandkids. Oh, woe is me!”
Oh boy, here we go. This’ll take a while! I grabbed my hoe and got back to work. Arguing was pointless anyway.
No more fiancés for me. I’ve had enough!
I don’t know, maybe someday in the future things will change, but for now, men didn’t exactly repulse me—I just didn’t trust any of them.
The next two days flew by way too fast. I wanted to stay longer with Grandma. After saying goodbye, I grabbed my suitcase and headed to the border between Odinary and Ankeni, where I could open a portal.
It was still very early, and the town was asleep. Only here and there, bakers were kneading dough, and milkmen were delivering their goods to shops.
Reaching a large gray building, I opened a portal and, selecting the right coordinates on the map, transported myself to Frost Grotto Station.
My transitions weren’t exactly smooth yet, so when I arrived, I barely kept my balance and dropped my suitcase. Thankfully, my things didn’t spill out everywhere. Picking it up, I looked around.