Nas, who once wished for nothing more than to awaken his own magic, had begun to hate it only a few days after gaining it.
Hed lost his mother and nearly destroyed his friends. No one knew what kind of magic it was. The old witch foen the street told him and Aurora that it might be transformation magic based on his description, but even she wasn't certain.
He and Aurora had scouted every book they could find, nothing matched. It was either a magic that had never existed before, one buried deep in forgotten history, or perhaps from a lost magical tribe that had gone extint.
He sat by the window of Aurora's house, staring at the faint trail of sunrise breaking over the Benin metropolis. The city looked peaceful, but inside, his mind was anything but. While he was still lost in thought - remembering the moment he'd turned on his friends, how the invisible force had knocked him out before he could do worse - Phoebe's voice broke through.
"You're not a monster, Nas."
She said it softly, like she was afraid The words might shatter. Nas had called himself one, more than once.
Alexei, jumped in with his usual playful grin.
"Then tell me, comrade," he said, "what's it like to finally be one of us?"
Nas blinked, unsure how to respond. He just smiled - a small, tired curve of the lips, and sat up on the couch.
They said they'd come because he'd skipped school for three days since the fight. He told them he was fine, that he just needed time to understand what he'd become... And what he was supposed to do now.
Phoebe, always the sharp one, folded her arms,
"Fine. Then where's your mom? Why are you living with the principal?"
The question made him flinch, just slightly. They didn't notice. He forced a smile.
"She... got a job in JAPAN. A friend from her witch days helped her out. Once she's settled, she'll send for me."
That was the lie he and Aurora had crafted, half-truths wrapped in convenience. Kendra did have a witch friend named HAMURA in Japan. He'd been the one to contact Aurora after Kendra vanished.
Nas went on to explain that Aurora and his mother had known each other back in those days, and that that Aurora had agreed to let him finish high school at her academy before deciding what came next.
Phoebe's expression shifted - surprise, then anger.
"When exactly were you going to tell us? Or me?"
Nas sighed, raising both hands.
"I'm not going anywhere. At least, not at the moment, not right now. I'll still be taking the ACE Academy exam with you guys. I promise."
The group exchanged looks. Then Michael, always the reliable one, smiled.
"Good. Because we're not letting you bail on us now."
Phoebe nooded in fierce agreement.
"If it's about money, we'll talk to our parents. And if they say No, well do it ourselves. We're not leaving you behind. And you're not leaving us either."
That made Nas look up, really look up. These people, despite everything, still saw him as one of them.
Flourish, Alexei, Adrian, and Phoebe were already in the ACE Academy system, part-time, under the one year probation program. Michael, Peter, and Nas weren't in yet; they still needed to complete the mandatory internship before taking the entry exams.
Michael and Peter were confident - their families had influence within the Assembly. Their parents held very high positions in the ACE Assembly. Alexei had already done his internship the year before, earning his place alongside Adrian, Phoebe, and Flourish.
But Nas - a boy from the slums of Igodo - had no such connections. He'd need a recommendation from within the ACE Assembly to even qualify for the scholarship exam at the end of his internship. Victor would have been a perfect option, but he's been missing since the fight with the Intellectual.
With Victor gone, and us return unsure, no one - not Aurora, not his friends - could tell him how he was supposed to get one.
While still talking about school, Michael's eyes caught something strange - a door, marked with a symbol none of them had ever seen before. The crest was circular, carved into the wood as though it had always been there.
"That's supposed to be my closet door" he muttered, confusion lacing his voice. "It... It didn't have that symbol before."
He reached out. The moment his palm met the wood, the door gave low hum and swayed open, revealing a narrow cave like passageway. It's walls were lined with wooden torches, each bursting to life one after the other, flooding the tunnel with a warm ancient light that stretched all the way to the end.
Michael, Alexei, Phoebe, and Nas exchanged looks, then stepped through.
At the end, they found themselves in a large, dimly kit chamber. A massive cauldron rested in the center, surrounded by shelves stalked with booms, weapons, grimoires, herbs, and potions - a witch's den.
Before anyone could speak, a thud came from behind one of the shelves. Then, a black cat - the size of a small child - climbed out and bumped straight into Michael's leg. The group screamed in unison, but before their cries could echo, their mouth sealed shut as if glued by invisible threads. Their eyes widened in panic until, after a few tense seconds, the cat gasped - almost choking - and released them.
"My apologies!" It said quickly, bowing low, voice smooth yet sharp like silk tearing. "Forgive me, Young Master. I did not realize it was you."
"Y...Young Master?" Phoebe repeated, her voice trembling
The cat kept it's head down, tail flicking respectfully. "The heir of my mistress. You stand before the domain of the Witch's House."
Nas blinked. "What are you talking about? My mom barely knows how to use charms and spells. She couldn't even echang a broom to sweep itself."
Alexei snorted. "Maybe she's not your real mom."
Nas shot him a glare cold enough to freeze time. Phoebe and Michael smacked Alexei on the arms, whispering a chorus of "Not cool" and "Shut up"
The black cat began to circle them, sniffing the air. It's eyes glowed faintly with magic.
"You," it said, stopping in front of Alexei, "bear the scent of a word, ink, spark and fire - The Scribe of Creation."
It turned to Phoebe. "The sea dances behind your heartbeat - You Are The Wave Of Change."
Then Michael. "The seasons bow when your speak - You're The Lord Over The Seasons."
Finally, the cat stopped before Nas. It inhaled deeply, the golden slit of its eyes trembling as if holding back tears. The room grew quieter. For a long moment, it simply stares at him - as though seeing something none of them could. Then, with a sigh that sounded almost human, it looked away.
"I... Should not speak of what I see." It murmured, turning to fetch a book from a nearby shelf.
Nas took a step forward. "No. You do know something. Tell me."
The cat paused but didn't turn around. "I will - but not for free. You want answers, you'll have to earn them."
It placed the book on the table and faced him again. "A coven I oversee in New Orleans has gone silent. No response for a week. I can no longer feel their anchor magic - as if someone severed it."
"The anchor?" Michael asked.
"The lady of the house," the cat explained. "Every connect d coven draws from her domain of power. To break that bond without her... Impossible. Unless something else has Intervened."
"So what do you want us to do?" Nas asked.
"Investigate," the cat said. "Quietly. This is coven business - the Assembly must not be involved. Return with what you find, and I will tell you everything about your mother, your inheritance, and why this crest appeared."
They agreed, turning towards the exit, when the cats voice stopped them.
"Where are you going?" It asked, amused.
"To go fine a way to get to New Orleans" Nas said.
The cat laughed, the sound both mocking and tired. "Mortals and their technology. Always running when you could just step."
It pulled a white chalk stick from the shelf and began drawing a complex circle on the floor. "Stand here."
When they obeyed, the cats voice dropped to a low chant. The sigil glowed faintly. Then it pricked it's paw, letting a drop of blood fall to the ground.
For a split second, the entire room shifted sideways. The air folded in on itself - and then they were standing under the open sky.
The scent of salt hit first - sharp and ancient. The soft his of waves came next. Before them stretched Shell Beach, it's shell-strewn shore glittering silver under starlight. The water beyond lay vast and unmoving, a mirror of the heavens — a quiet edge of Lake Borgne, where the Gulf of Mexico whispered it's secrets to the Atlantic.
Behind them, the cypress forest loomed, so dark, wet, and alive with unseen things that it seemed to swallow sound. The night air hung heavy with the breath of marsh and brine.
Nas glanced at his watch - 3:07am.
"New Orleans," the cat's voice echoed faintly in their minds. "The stars will guide you. The truth waits where the silence begins."
As the echo faded, Nas looked up. The Stars shimmered above him - perfect, distant, unblinking.
And in their reflection on the water, he could have sworn he saw golden eyes watching him still. Not with pride... but pity.