Mirage—Miracle
ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇᴍᴘʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴍʏ sᴡᴏʀᴅ—ᴍʏ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ—ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ, ᴏᴜʀ ʙᴏᴅɪᴇs, ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜᴇᴅ.
ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴏᴜʀ ᴍɪɴᴅs ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀʀᴍᴏɴɪᴢᴇ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ɢʀᴇᴡ sᴛʀᴏɴɢᴇʀ. ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪʙᴇ, ɪғ ʜᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʀᴇᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴡᴀs ʙʟᴜᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴏsᴇʀ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴜɴɪғɪᴇᴅ ᴘᴜʀᴘʟᴇ—or in modern terms, the more our wavelengths aligned—ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴍʏ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ.
ɪᴛ ᴅɪsᴛʀᴇssᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴀᴍᴜsᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ, ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡᴇ sʜᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs. ʜɪs sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴍɪɴᴇ; ᴍɪɴᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʜɪs. ᴀɴᴅ sᴇʟᴅᴏᴍʟʏ, ᴛʜᴇ sᴇɴsɪʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇs ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴs ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛ, (ᴏɴᴄᴇ, ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪᴍᴇʟʏ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴇsᴛᴇʟʟᴀ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀʏ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ʙᴀɴɪsʜᴍᴇɴᴛ) ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴍʏ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇɴsᴇ.
ɪ sᴛɪʟʟ, ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴅᴀʏ, ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ғᴜʟʟʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʀᴇʜᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴜʟʟ sᴄᴏᴘᴇs ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ, ɪғ ɪᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴡᴀs ᴍɪɴᴇ. ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ, ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪғᴇ ᴏғ ᴍᴇ, ɪ sɪᴍᴘʟʏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴏғ ᴀɴʏ ᴘʜɪʟᴏsᴏᴘʜʏ ɪ ᴡɪᴇʟᴅᴇᴅ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪɴᴅᴜʟɢᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴍʏ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ. ᴇᴠᴇʀᴍᴏʀᴇsᴏ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴏᴜs ᴡᴀs ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ ᴍʏ ɴᴇᴡғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ—ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟʟʏ, ᴀʟʟ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪ ɢᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ, ᴀs ɪғ sᴛʀᴜᴄᴋ ʙʏ ʟɪɢʜᴛɴɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴛᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ; ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ɪ ғᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀs sᴡɪᴍᴍɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍᴜᴅᴅʟᴇᴅ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀs.
sᴜᴄʜ ᴄᴀsᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴜɴʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴʏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ sᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ 'ғᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴇ' ᴏғ ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴘᴏssᴇssᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ? ɪ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ɪᴍᴍᴇɴsᴇ ʙᴀғғʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀs ᴍᴀɴʏ sᴡᴏʀᴅs ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ.
"What do you think, if you give up and consummate your love with me, I can let you go." Chase said and pressed me down. My already damp clothes turned wet as the rainwater from yesterday's storm hadn't dried out yet. "I promise I will treat you well, I don't mind that you have a childish body. Actually, isn't that more interesting?"
Officer, this person right here!
I grabbed his arms, my fingers couldn't even wrap around his wrists, and said, "sorry, not happening. Not because you are male, I just don't like you."
"Then faint quietly, please."
ᴍʏ ᴍɪɴᴅ ᴛʀᴇᴍʙʟᴇᴅ ᴀs ɪ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sɪxᴛʜ ʙʟᴀᴅᴇ, sɪɢɴɪғʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴅᴏ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ sᴛɪʟʟ ᴡᴀs ᴅᴏᴜʙʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴍɪᴛ ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴅ sᴇᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ, sᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜᴇɴɪɴɢ ɴᴏᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴍʏ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴏʀʏ ᴏғ ᴀᴛᴜɴɪɴɢ ᴏᴜʀ ᴍɪɴᴅs. sɪx ᴇǫᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʟᴏɴɢ, sʜᴀʀᴘ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏʟᴅ ʙʟᴀᴅᴇs ʜᴏᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴇɴᴀ, ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴀɴᴅ. ɪғ ɪ sʜᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴏᴜᴛ, ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʙᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛɪʟᴇs?
To squeeze just another creation in, Agnes decided to get rid of her clothes—a sight I welcomed even more than the six swords floating menacingly in the air.
"What are you smiling for."
"Ah it's just," my voice was feeble, escaping my mouth like air in a deflated ballon, "I was wondering if that was what heaven looked like."
"Are you hallucinating?" He laughed hideously.
ᴍʏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ ʙᴏᴅʏ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ᴠᴀɢᴜᴇ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ sᴏ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ. ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ғʟɪᴄᴋ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ғɪɴɢᴇʀ, ɪ sᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴᴇ sᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴅᴏᴡɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ sᴀᴡ ɪᴛ ʀᴀᴘɪᴅʟʏ sʜᴏᴏᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴏᴡᴀʀᴅs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙɪɢ ɢᴜʏ ᴄʜᴀsᴇ.
As my vision faded and I had no more strength to rebut, I was sure that I would faint and could only leave my fate in the hands of Agnes. It was a very scary thought. However, just before I kissed my consciousness goodbye, I heard a loud manly shriek right above me and the pressure on my neck swiftly faded away. Using that chance, I assembled my missing strength again and pushed his hands away, before rolling out of his caring embrace.
I tried standing up and running, but my weak knees could not support that idea, and I stumbled, until I crawled away. Only after reaching a safer distance did I rest and then violently coughed. I massaged my sore neck and the pain on my stomach made me wince. I kept coughing, as I gasped for air.
"Close one, almost transmigrated again," I took a deep breath, "I already saw the light."
It took a while before my sight returned, and by the time it did, I saw a surprising scene of a big, bulky man grimacing in pain, as he howled, his voice shaking the spectators. There was a sharp sword embedded in his shoulder, but he did not seem to have realized that.
"ᴜɢʜ," Agnes similarly gasped as she cutely pouted, sweat running down her forehead, "ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ʜᴏʟᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀɴʏᴍᴏʀᴇ," she said before unclenching her fist and as she did, the sword seamlessly disappeared leaving only a red slit, bubbling with blood in Chase's shoulder.
ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏɴɢᴇsᴛ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴍᴀɪɴᴛᴀɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ʙᴏᴅʏ. ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs sʜᴏʀᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀʟsᴏ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ. ɪ sᴛɪʟʟ ᴘᴏssᴇssᴇᴅ ғɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴜɴᴛ ʜɪᴍ ᴅᴏᴡɴ.
I saw Agnes commanding the sword to fly. Everywhere she pointed, it would go and with astonishing speed zap through the air. As if sensing the disturbance, or maybe sorely out of unnatural instinct, the target Chase, jumped away, but his waist was still grazed, cutting a big hole in his clothes and creating an equally big gash. He grunted and held his waist in pain. His face meanwhile were all eyes, as he stared at his wounds in astonishment.
The crowd stirred, not comprehending what was happening. Just a moment ago, I was pressed on the floor, and the bystanders had already offered their last prayers for me, and the next moment, Chase was on the ground, two heavy wounds on his invulnerable body.
"Could you see anything?"
"I am not sure? Maybe he tripped?"
"Don't be ridiculous, a trip does not create these kind of wounds. I am not an idiot."
"Then tell me, what was it?"
"It was almost like . . ."
Everyone stopped talking.
The most amazed person was Chase himself. He could not recover from the shock he received, even the wounds did not hurt him as much. He pointed at me and his voice shook, he screamed out, "Magic!" His own words seemed to have scared him and he shuddered.
Soon, the crowd turned into turmoil.
As far as I remembered, normal civilians knew nothing about magic. In fact, they thought it was a myth. However, Chase used to be a knight before. Even if it was of low standing, he has been part of nobility—furthermore, he fought in the battlefield. Although rare, he was no stranger to magic.
"Magic!" Someone managed to shout out as everyone watched dumbfoundedly.
"Impossible, impossible, there's no such thing!"
A wave of exclamations resounded.
Some people staggered backwards and they fell down, "it has to be a fake, a parlor trick." The people felt like they were going mad. Yes, I understood their feelings, it was much like when I first discovered magic. I was glad to share my experience.
"That, that must be it," a man gulped, "otherwise, wouldn't that be too scary?"
While they were guessing about the nature of my abilities, I opened my arms and shouted, "Agnes, take me into the air!"
The girl rolled her eyes, but she still followed my command. She flew towards me and grabbed me by my waist, and with great effort, she began to lift me up. I felt my body slowly turning lighter, until my feet seperated from the stable ground into the air, shakingly.
Everyone was dumbfounded by the scene. The strong surrounding silence pressed heavily on them. The waitress fell to the ground, while the boy Zeid stood frozen. Silently, they all followed me with their eyes.
With the help of Agnes, I continued floating upward, until I reached a height of several meters, more than that seemed to be impossible for her.
The imposing light shone on my back and created a dark shadow on the ground, and the wind lightly fluttered my dress. With no emotions, I gazed at the crowd.
Soon, one after another, as if guided by an unknown force, clasped their hands and prayed. They chanted with their eyes shut tightly, and bowed down. It was a breathtaking scene.
Not minding the onlookers, I urged Agnes to shoot down her swords. As she was touching me, her attacks turned a lot stronger. Chase tried dodging, but as the swords were created with intent to kill, they were invisible for him.
"This can't be real! You are not even of age yet," he said and his face was unimaginably pale. "It has to be a mirage!" A sword pierced his arm.
I opened my mouth, and everyone stopped moving. They collectively stared at me, caught in a trance, "
"ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ," ɪ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ʜɪᴍ.
I wanted to reply, but was interrupted. "Agnes!" Someone yelled. I searched for the source and saw it was the judge. He was seating on an elevated platform, but I floated higher than him. His eyebrows shot up as the sudden realization dawned him. "It's you, Agnes!" He slammed his hands on the table and stood up, agitated.
I placed a finger on my lips and smiled. He promptly shut his mouth.
"You can't use magic," Chase complained, as more wounds gathered on his body, "that is against the rules!"
I laughed loudly. "do you have any grievances? Let's hold a Judgement Table then."
He was exasperated by my answer, but there was nothing he could do. "
He spat a mouthful of blood as a sword almost went through his belly. He rolled around in pain and his face crunched into a knot. He wailed and shouted, "I give up. I give up!"
His words made every person speechless. The invincible Chase had given up—just like that. They simply couldn't believe it. For the past few weeks, he had terrorized them and doing whatever he wanted, and now he was sitting in his own puddle of blood, deep wounds all around his body. The man was overwhelmed with fear his expression pale, while he shielded his head with his arms.
However, they felt no pity for him. Instead, they even thought 'was that it?'
With Agnes's help, I landed on the ground, and only then did the referee announce, "The Table is over!"
The crowd remained stunned and clenched their fists. They calculated, as he was not only the accused, but also the person that lost the fight, he would receive the usual punishment that came from 'spoiling my soup'. Since he also declared a Judgement Table, additional punishments were due. Still, the crowd was indignant. They glared at him, but were unable to vent their anger.
Chase too, realized the eyes on him, and he swore himself he would remember these faces to seek vengeance. At least, that was what his face told me.
Unbeknownst to everybody, I continued walking towards him; by the time they realized what I was doing, I already stood in front of him.
"Too bad, I didn't really hate you. In fact, you were kind of funny. But you just had to bite off more than you can chew."
He watched me carefully, his eyes shook. "What do you want?"
I stretched my arm out and chanted, "
I pointed the tip at him. With a cold voice I said, "if I don't show my fangs, they'd think I have gone soft. You understand, right?" I then smiled at him.
"All because of a soup," he desperately cried out, his nose wrinkling in the process. "I can pay you back! I will buy you however many you want! 'Thou shall not kill', don't you know? You cannot take back murder."
"The one you toppled was special." I thought about Raya, and how I could have annoyed her, but instead I was stuck with this clown.
He backed off. "Is it the girl Aletta? It's her, right? Actually, it was only a joke, I wouldn't go that far. She is in—"
ʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴡ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ғɪsᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴘᴀʀʀɪᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ʙʟᴀᴅᴇ, ʜᴜʀᴛɪɴɢ ʜɪᴍ ᴅᴜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇss.
"I usually don't kill people," I said. To kill someone was mere child's play for me, and my lack of morality simply amplified that desire. To not go on a slaughtering spree, I made a promise—the only kind of rules I abided by—that I shan't kill. Rather, I solved my problems with plans. Only when I met a person with a variable that could not be contained, an unpredictability, a potential jeopardy for my life, would I end its life mercilesssly.
The man shivering in front of me did not fulfill that requirement. However, someone else did.
I stared into the crowd and my eyes met the boy Zeid. There was a mysterious glow burning fiercely in his eyes, his sharp eyebrows said only one thing—
Kill Chase.
He's got that eye of burning justice—that disgusting eye which sets blasphemous bastards like me on fire.
He had the eyes of a hero. And as a hero, he inevitably possessed the quality to oppose a villain like me.
"You can't do this!"
"Let's hold a Jugdement Table then."
I grinned fiendishly, and with a swift motion, I stabbed Chase right through his heart.