The silence that followed Rael's abrupt departure was suffocating. Elias sat in the middle of his bed, breathing heavily, his heart still pounding in his chest. The remnants of the fight with Rael lingered in the air like an invisible weight, the tension wrapping itself around his mind and refusing to let go.
He had fought back. For the first time, he had stood up to the demon, and it had felt... liberating. But the aftermath was gnawing at him. The way his magic had surged so uncontrollably, the way Rael had gotten under his skin—Elias knew he was not the same person he had been a few weeks ago.
"Am I even in control anymore?" Elias muttered to himself, the question hanging in the air like a taunting riddle. He didn't know. He didn't know what was real or what had become of him since that first night he had met Rael. Everything had changed.
Elias ran a shaky hand through his hair, trying to ground himself. The demon's presence was still heavy in his mind, like an uninvited guest. Rael wasn't physically here, but he might as well have been, with how clearly Elias could hear his voice, feel his touch, even in the emptiness of his room.
I can't keep going like this.
The thought was overwhelming, suffocating. And yet, in the midst of his self-doubt and confusion, a knock at the door broke through his spiraling thoughts. Elias froze, a rush of panic surging through his veins. He wasn't ready to face anyone, especially not after everything with Rael.
But the knock came again, persistent.
Elias wiped his hands down his face, trying to force some semblance of normalcy back into his system. He stood up and walked to the door, opening it just a crack. His gaze met the familiar face of his professor, Professor Selwin, a stern yet understanding older man who had been guiding Elias in his magic studies.
"Professor?" Elias asked, unsure of what to say.
"I heard some... noise earlier," Professor Selwin said, his tone casual but laced with concern. "Everything alright?"
Elias nodded quickly, though it didn't feel convincing even to himself. "Yeah, just... dealing with some personal stuff."
Professor Selwin didn't press him. Instead, he studied Elias with a sharp, almost knowing gaze, before giving a slight nod. "You know, magic can be a tricky thing to handle alone. But remember, you don't have to be. If you need guidance, you know where to find me."
Elias swallowed the lump in his throat, fighting the urge to just crumble. "Thanks, Professor."
With a final nod, the professor turned and walked down the hall, leaving Elias standing alone in his doorway. The brief interaction did little to ease the storm raging inside him, but it reminded him of something crucial—he wasn't completely alone.
But Elias wasn't sure that anyone could truly understand what was happening to him, not when it was tied to something so dark, so... demonic.
---
The following days were filled with a dull, constant pressure in the back of Elias's mind. Each time he tried to focus on his magic lessons, his thoughts kept drifting back to Rael. The fight they'd had lingered, but so did the pull—the magnetic, undeniable force that kept drawing him in.
During his magic class, the pressure in his chest intensified, and for the first time in days, Elias couldn't push it away. His hands trembled as he tried to focus on the lesson, but instead, a surge of power burst from within him, unbidden. His magic flared, uncontrolled, and his surroundings warped in response. His vision flickered, and he felt the pull of Rael's presence deep within his chest, like a chain tugging him toward the demon.
The energy inside him was like a live wire, crackling with an intensity he hadn't yet learned to tame. It burned, it surged—his magic was an unrefined mess of chaos and desire, thrumming with power that demanded to be unleashed. His pulse raced, and he fought to reel it back, but the more he tried, the more it slipped out of his control.
The entire room seemed to pulse with magic, as if responding to his inner turmoil. Students nearby glanced around in alarm, but none of them dared to speak, sensing the strange aura hanging in the air.
"Elias?" Professor Selwin's voice cut through the haze, his tone sharply aware. "Focus."
Elias took a deep breath, struggling to calm himself, trying to push away the overwhelming surge of power that threatened to consume him. The professor's words pierced the fog in his mind, and with a tremulous exhale, Elias forced the magic to subside, the tension slowly easing from his body.
When the spell finally broke, the classroom returned to its normal state, but Elias's hands still trembled as he struggled to steady himself. His head swam with dizziness, and his heart was hammering in his chest, still trying to adjust to the intensity of what had just happened.
Professor Selwin stood a few steps away, watching Elias carefully, but didn't press him further. He simply nodded once, acknowledging the raw power Elias had just demonstrated.
Elias knew one thing for certain: his magic was only getting harder to control. And no one—no matter how much they cared—could understand the depth of what he was truly battling.