Chapter 11: A Gift From My Father
"I hope you've all made up because we have a lot to discuss," Lilith said, settling into the seat at the head of the table.
"I sent Sora to investigate the orphanage. It looks like Magnus has abandoned whatever sick objectives he had there, but don't get your hopes up—the kids are gone too. According to Sora, they've made their way to Veloria." She paused. "Now, why is that important, you might ask?"
She leaned forward. "Veloria is divided into four main regions. There's Molina, the poor district, better known as the 'City of No Worth.' Then New Molina, the 'City of Lost Morals.' The king has his own personal domain, a vast estate he calls Perri Sall Vermont, reserved purely for his luxuries and guards. And finally, there's Bountyreach—the beating heart of Veloria. It's where everything is made: food, clothing, potions, wands, even clean water. Without it, Veloria wouldn't survive."
She let that sink in before continuing. "So, why does any of this matter? Because Veloria is the single largest kingdom in these lands. So why is Magnus there? And more importantly, why would he take a bunch of orphaned kids with him? It's strange… but either way, that's where you'll find him."
"Then we go there," I said.
"Well, yes… but listen to me, Madoxx." Lilith's tone softened, but there was something firm beneath it. "I see potential in you. But if you head to Veloria as you are now, the outcome will be the same as last time. And we both know how that ended."
She stood. "So, I'm asking you to be patient. Stay here, even if just for a while. There's a lot I can teach you—things that will make you strong enough to take him on."
Then, without waiting for an answer, she turned. "Follow me."
Training Arena
Melody was in the training room, a massive underground arena filled with various weapons, worn-down statues, and intricately designed walls. A transparent roof stretched above, revealing an intense red sky.
"It's not real," she said, glancing at me. "We're deep underground. My mother said it was too cramped down here without windows, so she made her own." She wiped sweat from her forehead.
"That's incredible," I admitted, admiring the red sky.
"Melody, I'd like you to show Madoxx and Eliza what you can do," Lilith instructed.
"Yes, Mother," Melody responded, shifting into her fighting stance. Her body steady, eyes sharp with focus, she raised her hands, fingers tightening into solid fists. A soft blue glow flickered to life, swirling around her knuckles before bursting into vibrant flames.
With a swift punch, she sent a blazing fireball flying through the air. Almost instantly, she followed with another strike—her left fist unleashing a second surge of fire. The two flames collided midair, fusing together into a roaring flame . Then, she crouched low and struck the ground with force. The earth trembled beneath her as a massive boulder tore free, flying into the fire. The intense heat covered the rock, causing it to glow red-hot before melting into a pool of molten magma.
Melody lunged forward, driving her fist straight through the molten rock. Instead of burning her, the magma clung to her hands, molding around them like living fire. Now, with fists of searing lava, she moved—fast, fluid, and deadly.
She spun, punching the air in quick succession. Her movements were unlike anything I had ever seen. Every twist, every kick, every dodge was executed effortlessly. Then, she suddenly stopped, grounding herself before launching another punch. This time, the magma flowed from her palms, forming a ring of molten fire around her. It hovered in the air, suspended as though it had a mind of its own. With a final strike, she sent the burning magma flying in all directions.
Lilith raised her hand, forming a barrier that shielded us from the flying lava.
I had never seen magic like this before. It was awesome .
"So, what do you think?" Melody asked, almost smiling.
"That was alright," I said dryly, trying not to give her too much credit.
But I immediately regretted it. I could tell she was proud of her fighting style.
"Actually, that was really good," I added quickly. "I'm impressed."
She let out a small smile—then suddenly punched me in the stomach.
"Yeah, I don't care what you think," she said, flustered.
"Ow," I muttered dryly.
"That was amazing!" Eliza said, eyes wide. "I've never seen anything like that in my life!"
"Oh, thank you so much," Melody said, clearly flustered. "That means a lot to me. I've worked really hard to get this far."
"You are so cool!" Eliza added, admiring her even more.
Even though Melody tried to hide it, her face lit up. She blushed hard, truly happy that someone found her magic so cool.
"So she doesn't get punched in the stomach?" I asked sarcastically.
"No, she doesn't," Mel replied with a smirk as they both laughed.
A small smile formed on Lilith's face before she became serious again.
"Madoxx, Eliza, I bet you've both been tested to see what magic affinity you have. Am I correct?"
"Yes," I replied. "Back at the orphanage, Malinda—our magic teacher, or something like that—tested us."
"But now that I think about it… weren't you sick that day?" I asked, glancing at Eliza.
"Yeah, unfortunately," she said.
"No, that's perfect," Lilith said, her eyes glinting with interest. "There's a big misconception among mages in this land. Didn't you notice anything strange about Melody's demonstration just now?"
We both thought for a moment before Eliza's eyes widened.
"Wait… now that you mention it, it is weird! How did she use both earth and fire magic? I thought a mage could only control one elemental variant?" Eliza asked.
"Exactly! That's what I want to teach you—and why I'm the only one who can," Lilith said.
She folded her hands together and continued, "Normally, a mage is locked into one elemental proficiency, whether that be water, air, fire, or earth. That's just how it is."
She let that sink in for a second before placing her hands on top of Melody's and my heads.
"But… there's an exception. A rare one. Some mages are born with what's called a Deviant Attribute—just like these two here."
I raised an eyebrow. "Deviant?"
"A deviant mage has the ability to wield two or more elemental attributes," Lilith explained. "Take Melody, for example—she can control both fire and earth."
"But that's not all," she added, turning her gaze to me. "In your case, Madoxx, whatever power you used in the woods that night… that was something else entirely."
"Oh, and don't forget his ice ability too!" Eliza added. "Remember when you froze yourself inside that ice dome back at the orphanage?"
Lilith let out a small giggle. "I wasn't aware you had an ice attribute as well. You continue to surprise me, Madoxx," she said, intrigued.
I felt slightly embarrassed and scratched the back of my head. "Well… no one at the orphanage had ever seen ice magic before. They told me it was rare… almost unheard of."
"That's true," Lilith nodded. "Which brings me to another important point—Tier Two magic.
"A mage proficient in, say, water magic, can train and eventually level up to conjure ice magic. But the fact that you managed to do so at such a young age with no prior training is extremely impressive, Madoxx."
Mel crossed her arms. "So, you're not just a rude, useless guy after all, huh?"
"Hey, don't start," I shot back, glaring at her.
She glared right back. "It was a compliment. So accept it."
"So rude these days, aren't we, Mel?" I said.
"Well, you started it," she replied, sticking her tongue out.
"Now that we've established what abilities Melody and Maddox have, I'm very interested in seeing yours, Eliza."
"Oh, okay. I don't mind—I'm just really not sure how to actually do it."
"Not a problem, young one," Sora said, walking.
Sora walked into the training room holding a large crystal ball.
"No need to fuss over that when we have a magical raider detector—or M.R.D for short. Sora picked it up on one of her trips to Veloria recently, so that's perfect. I swear, the magical investigation unit they have there has been cooking up a lot of interesting stuff."
"Now, my child, please place your palm on the crystal. This crystal is used to detect the magic a mage holds. From there, we will move forward," Lilith instructed.
Melody placed her hand on the crystal, and it vibrated intensely. A flash of white light shot from it, forming a rippling wave in all directions. Suddenly, the white wave turned pink, and from it, a burst of energy shot outward, shaking the room and creating a fog of pink mist. The mist glowed and twitched—or, more accurately, glitched in time. The fog, trapped in this glitching effect, seemed suspended in place, frozen in time.
"How interesting," Lilith said, examining the unfolding events. The crystal vibrated violently before shattering into thousands of pieces, sending shards flying in all directions.
"The three of you will be very interesting mages," Lilith said, unfolding her arms, a smile forming on her face.
A Week Later
I laid on the bed with the codex open in front of me. Since the day we got teleported to Zora's land, the codex hadn't spoken back.
I wasn't sure what this meant, but my best guess was that day with the Keeth something happened to trigger it, the book wanted me to do something before it would respond to me again. It was a far-fetched guess but the only one i had
Training was going well with Lilith. She knew a lot about magic, and I had made progress in our lessons. Unfortunately, Eliza was another case. She had the potential to cast magic, but for some reason, she just couldn't—no matter how hard she tried.
Two Weeks Later
It's been almost a month since we arrived at Lilith's barrow. I've learned a lot about her, about Melody, and about this underground castle.
Melody and I have been progressing well under Lilith's care. Eliza has also made progress—she's broken through to a new level of controlling her spark. Lilith deemed her magic too dangerous to train with us so Nyssa has taken over in that regard I'm not going to lie I'm a bit curious what type of magic she has that even lilith found it dangerous.
One Year Later
During one of lilith's training lessons.
"I woke up some time later,
Laying on the arena floor.
Not far from me, Melody was lodged in a crater in the wall. My entire body felt like it was on fire; every inch of me ached as I coughed and groaned.
"So you didn't die. Good job,' Melody said in a weak, hoarse voice giving me a thumbs up.
"I'm not sure yet,'" I muttered,
She let out a faint, weak giggle. "We did alright... we'll definitely get her next time," she said, coughing up blood.
'Yeah,"' I said, my own painful chuckle escaping me
"Young lady, Melody, are you alright?"
"we almost had her this time Nyssa, Melody said, still struggling to speak
"I wholeheartedly believe that,' Nyssa replied warmly.
Without hesitation, Nyssa carried us both to the medic ward.
Nyssa was one of Lilith's helpers, a quiet lady with black hair and a petite frame. She wore a maid's outfit, and her chocolate-brown skin was scattered with freckles. She had a warm smile and seemed to be very kind-hearted.
Medic Ward
The medic ward was a large room with eight beds arranged neatly in rows. The walls were a dark gray, and the ceiling had our candle lit chandeliers that cast a soft glow. The floor was tiled in white, and the gray walls were engraved with gold runes.
Melody laid to my right and Eliza to my left again curious about her training; she was battered and bruised and still unconscious. What did Nyssa have her doing? I wondered.
When I woke up, I noticed Melody lying still, her hands raised in the air as she stared at them intently.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I find hands so interesting. They are the tools used to create and share affection. We use them to feel, but we also use them as weapons. These soft, squishy, bony hands have so many uses. Whether surrounded by rough stone, hot lava, or cradling a baby, we have these hands. You can feel so much from these hands. You're so lucky."
I was slightly confused by her statement. What did she mean I was lucky? She had hands too.
"I was born with no arms or legs, a defect that occurred at my birth. These ones were a gift from my father—artificial hands and feet , the second greatest gift I got from him." Tears fell from her eyes. "Magic has taken so much from me, more than you can ever imagine. But magic also gave me these hands—these squishy hands that allow me to fight and become strong, strong enough to protect myself and those I hold dear. That's why I'm always going to try my best. No matter the odds, I'm going to overcome them with these hands my father gave me."
Melody could be rough around the edges—loud, violent, and beastishly strong. But here, she looked so fragile and vulnerable, at peace.
I wanted to ask her more about what she had said, but it didn't feel like my place to pry.
Two Years Later
I turned eighteen today. Time really does fly, doesn't it? I couldn't believe it had been three years since that day. But finally, Lilith said we were ready.
Lilith stood before us in the training arena, her gaze proud yet firm.
"You two have a simple task: break my defense and land one hit on me," Lilith announced. "Use any strategy you feel will help you. Show me you are ready to leave the nest."
Without hesitation, Melody charged forward, her fists blazing as she launched a powerful punch. A rippling effect shot outward, but Lilith's transparent shield held firm.
"Madoxx, are you just going to stand there?" Lilith taunted, a grin on her face.
The air around me tingled, charged with spark. A faint shimmer appeared—a white flicker pulsing like a heartbeat. I focused, my breath steady, my thoughts narrowing in on that glow. Slowly, it stretched and sharpened, crystallizing into jagged shards of ice.
With a flick of my wrist, they shot forward, slicing through the air with a sharp crack. They hit Lilith's barrier—and bounced harmlessly away.
"Come now, boy, I've taught you better than that," she mocked.
Lilith's eyes flashed. Once I start attacking, you will die if you do not get serious," Lilith said, her voice cold and serious. The statement sent shivers down my spine because I could tell she meant it.
A fierce wind stirred around her. Then, without warning, she struck.
Melody rushed back in, launching herself into the sky. Blue flames burst from her fists as she closed in for hand-to-hand combat. Jab after jab, kick after kick—Lilith dodged effortlessly, her movements swift and precise. Gusts of wind blasted in all directions from force of the attacks.
I closed my eyes and focused. I felt the spark manifest throughout my body, rushing through my veins. I pictured ice shooting from my palms. My hands turned cold and numb as icicles began to form around them. Taking a deep breath, I tried launching the ice. A sharp, freezing sensation shot through my hands before intensifying into excruciating pain.
"The Enchanters are mages who need to chant or write down their spells before they can use them," Lilith explained as she effortlessly deflected Melody's attacks. "The Casters use tools like wands, swords, and weapons to channel their magic. The third type of magic style is called Palm Casting, where you use your body to cast spells."
"Your body is your strongest weapon—use it."
Lilith could give a whole lecture on magic while fighting, while I struggled to land a single hit. She flicked my attacks away like they were nothing. It was both impressive and incredibly frustrating.
"It's a difficult style because if done incorrectly, the spell hurts the caster instead of the target. I will teach you how to properly use this style. As of now, you've been manipulating the spark you release into the air. This isn't effective. You need to learn to use your body as your tool—to cast directly from your hands, not the spark around them."
I took her words to heart and tried again. I visualized the mana flowing through my body, focusing it into my palms. The coldness returned, but this time, I controlled it, guiding it with my will. Slowly, the pain lessened, and the ice formed more smoothly. I launched another attack—a shard of ice—aiming directly at Lilith. It hit her barrier, and instead of being deflected like Melody's attacks, it cracked the surface slightly.
"There we go. And it only took you three years to understand that," she said, laughing.
"Spark is simply another element in this world, like the air you breathe or the ground you stand on. The Spark in the air cannot be improved, strengthened, or overhauled, which is why mages use powerful staffs, mods, and other items to amplify their spells. A normal conjured spell would never pierce my barrier, but you made a dent in my defenses. Palm Casting relies on the strength of your spark core; the stronger you make it, the better your spells will be."
A spark core determines the strength of your abilities, and that's what takes the longest to develop. The only way to strengthen one's spark core is through continuous meditation and absorption of spark from the surroundings. The more you do it, the stronger it becomes—like training a muscle.
When absorbing spark, it is channeled and amplified by your core. The stronger your core, the stronger the spells you can cast. But the core isn't a solid object—it's a mass of energy at the center of your body. The bigger it gets, the stronger you become.
Casting spells externally using the spark in the air weakens their potency. That's why mages use wands and other tools—they act as artificial cores, absorbing and amplifying Spark. These materials are rare, scattered across the world, and cannot be created by humans. Only a select few possess such relics.
The advantage of Palm Casting is that it's like having a wand inside your body. Your internal spark core strengthens the energy before release, making spells far more potent.
"You're a fast learner," Lilith said, a hint of approval in her tone. "Now, I'm going to attack."
She disappeared before my eyes and reappeared behind me. Before I could react, I was launched backward into the wall, denting it. Pieces of concrete flew everywhere, and the impact knocked the air out of my lungs.
"I told you, boy—be ready, or you will die." Her warm, motherly aura was gone. Nowonly pure bloodlust remained.
Melody dashed forward, her leg covered in hardened rock. She launched a deadly kick, sending shards of stone flying with a deafening sound…BANG.
"Now, Madox, it's time to stop holding back. Out there, if you hesitate, you die. Your final lesson today is this—everyone is your enemy. Blink, and death will creep up on you before you even realize it and then….."
She vanished again.
A sudden impact—Melody was sent flying, crashing into the wall with devastating force. The sheer power of the kick that struck her back sent a violent gust of wind through the arena.
And then—she was behind me.
A whisper brushed against my ear.
"It's game over."
Her leg glowed—a blood-red spell pulsating with raw destruction. She wasn't holding back. If this landed, I would die.
In my training, I learned two things:
I had the ability to summon and manipulate ice at will.
But, as Lilith had explained, some were born with a deviant ability—something beyond the basic four elements. A power even mages couldn't fully understand.
And like the others, I had one of my own. One I despised using.
Every time I called upon it, something cold and hollow slithered into me, wrapping around my soul like a shadow with no form.
It wasn't water, fire, wind, or earth.
It was something else.
Something unnatural.
Something wrong.
A power that could only belong to the devil.
I roared—a scream that tore through the air.
From my back, shadowy black arms burst forth, latching onto Lilith's leg.
A violent explosion of energy erupted from the clash, wind howling in all directions, sending both of us flying apart.
The shadow arms, like serpents sensing prey, struck again, whipping toward her with terrifying speed, pinning her down.
Lilith only smiled—menacingly.
"Now the real battle begins."
A blood-red wave of energy shot from her body, shattering the shadow arms as if they were nothing.
She lifted her hands.
A violent red beam shot from her palms, tearing through the ground as it surged toward me, pulsating with raw destruction.
In response, two shadow arms shot from my back, each making a shield of solid ice.
The moment the attacks collided, an explosion shook the arena—ice shards flew in all directions like deadly daggers. The shields shattered into a thousand pieces, but I had blocked it.
Lilith's eyes gleamed.
"Show me what you can do."
She launched forward, her kick almost connecting with my face.
This time—I saw her movements.
A black arm lashed out, catching her foot mid-air.
With a sharp twist, I whipped her around and threw her.
Slowly, the dark aura crept down my back, consuming, staining my skin black.
Lilith grinned.
"Your final test, Madoxx. If you survive this, you are ready."
She brought her palms together.
At the center, a black-and-red orb formed—sparking, pulsing, expanding.
The shadow arms reacted, forming their own sphere—pure darkness, writhing, shifting, alive.
Melody appeared beside me, covered in bright blue flames.
"I will not be left behind!" she screamed, unleashing a monstrous punch. A flash of blue light erupted from her fist.
Our spells clashed.
The explosion shook the ring.
Pain.
Darkness.
Moments later, I gasped awake.
Lilith stood over me.
"So, you survived after all," she said, smiling as she reached out her hand.
Behind her, I stared in shock.
A massive hole stretched beyond the entire training arena—so deep, I couldn't see the bottom.
"You pass."