The human population grew rapidly, spreading across the world, and eventually, they stumbled upon the magical folk. The people of Leniva were just as surprised to discover humans as the humans were to find them. At first, the witches and wizards welcomed the idea of coexistence, trying to accommodate the newcomers. But that dream was short-lived.
Fear began to grow in the hearts of humans. Caution turned into suspicion, and suspicion into hostility. The people of Leniva tried to stay peaceful, but everything changed when one of their own was killed.
War broke out.
It lasted for decades, bloody, merciless, and filled with pain. There were battles, torture, kidnappings, and unimaginable violence. The humans, determined to overpower magic, began developing weapons specifically designed to counter magic. At this point, I felt a deep sadness for the witches. What had they done to deserve such cruelty? The humans' fear was understandable, but fear alone wasn't a reason to attack. And now, I didn't know whose side I should be on. Was I a witch? A human? Or something in between?
The humans hadn't stopped at fear, they had built weapons designed to destroy magic itself. One such weapon, the Magic Drainer, did exactly what its name implied: it drained a witch's power completely, leaving them dead. Another, called the Magic Canceler, created a zone where no magic could be used at all. Humans sharpened their sword skills, giving rise to master swordsmen and even women. It became a constant clash of wand and sword.
Despite everything, many witches and wizards were soft-hearted. They tried to spare mortals when they could. But eventually, there were no choices left. Lands were destroyed, children and adults murdered on the battlefield.
After decades of war, a ceasefire was finally declared. The Queen Witch and the leader of the humans came to an agreement: they would live separately, and neither side would trespass into the other's land. A massive wall was built between them, and a powerful spell was cast to ensure it would never fall. A spell so strong that only a chosen witch could alter it and no sword could cut such a wall.
The land of magic was named Leniva, after the acting queen at the time. The other side, where the treaty was signed, became known as Briggs Kingdom, named after the human leader who acted as king at the time.
Now, Leniva rests at the farthest end of Briggs Kingdom, out of sight, and almost out of memory.
Years after the death of Queen Leniva, a power ranking system was adopted. At the age of sixteen, every witch and wizard was tested, and based on the results, a mark appeared on their shoulder.
The full details of the rankings were never explained, which left me curious. Then it hit me, I was sixteen.
A mix of excitement and fear bubbled up inside me. Would I get a mark too? What would happen if I didn't take the test? Most importantly, what even was the test? My hands were trembling from the thought.
It was already night, and my eyes were heavy. I set the book down on the library table, headed to the bathroom for a quick bath, and then went straight to bed.
As I lay down, the thought of my father crossed my mind. Had he known about all this the entire time? Was he really my father? What if I was kidnapped from Leniva? What if I'm actually the child of a noble?
I giggled a little at the thought. It felt like a logical explanation. Why else would a father treat his daughter so badly?
Pushing the thought away, I soon drifted to sleep.
I woke up the next day feeling refreshed and energized, ready for whatever the day might throw at me. The morning air was breezy, and I shivered slightly, breathing in the cold air. A warm bath was exactly what I needed, and I took my time, enjoying the comfort of the steaming water as it soothed my skin and calmed my thoughts.
Afterward, I returned to the book. Most of what was left were minor details, like how the ruler must live in the Aurelia keep and how marriage took place six months after the power test. I soon turned the final page, hoping for one last clue. Instead, I found a symbol. It was simple, yet strange... and oddly familiar.
"I know where I've seen this symbol!" I exclaimed.
Heart racing, I rushed to my aunt's wardrobe and opened it, revealing the mirror inside. My eyes darted between the symbol in the book and the one embedded faintly onto the mirror's frame. They were identical, if not the same. Without fully understanding why, I reached out and pressed my hand against the symbol.
The mirror reflected my glowing eyes, and a strange sensation passed through me, like energy rushing through my veins. The mirror rattled... then slowly slid aside, revealing a narrow passage and a set of stairs leading downward into darkness. I jerked my hand back, stumbling away. My heart was pounding. I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I was awake. But with everything that had happened so far, I was sure this was real.
A cold gust of air flowed out from the dark stairs, the kind of air you feel when you open a fridge. Standing there, I froze in place, staring into the shadows. There were too many uncertainties.
What was down there? Should I go? Did Aunt know about this?
But one thing was clear. This was no ordinary mirror... and this was no ordinary house.
At last, curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to go down, swallowing the fear, holding the book tight as I made my way down. The stairs were dark, narrow, dusty, and had obviously not been in use for a while. I tried my best not to trip, fearing what or where I might fall into. I finally made my way down and was welcomed by a strong smell of dust which caused me to cough and made it difficult to breathe.