At the End of Everything It's Still Magic

At the rear of the grand palace of Aurithéa, a man stood in silence, leaning against the marble balcony that stretched like a gateway to the vastness of the night. The sky was scattered with stars that gleamed like shards of precious gems, while the silver moon cast its ethereal glow over the surroundings. Immaculate gardens encircled the palace, with fountains whispering serenely and towering trees extending their branches skyward as if in reverence. In the distance, dark mountains framed the horizon, silent sentinels watching over the great city illuminated by magical lanterns.

The man, his short golden hair complementing his radiant eyes, was dressed in garments that left no doubt of his unmatched status. White trousers and a crimson top were adorned with intricate gold details, and a mantle, seemingly woven from the very essence of royalty, draped over his broad shoulders. Atop his head, a golden crown encrusted with shimmering jewels reflected the moonlight, as if even the heavens acknowledged his sovereignty.

Yet, despite all that he represented—power, ambition, desire—his expression was weighed down by something unmistakable. His brows were furrowed, lips pressed into a tight line, and his golden eyes remained fixed on the horizon.

"Oswald," his voice finally broke the silence, heavy with melancholy, an echo of unspoken storms.

"As my advisor, my oldest friend, my most trusted confidant—tell me, sincerely…"

He hesitated for a moment, as if the words themselves were thorns in his throat.

"Mages, sorcerers, witches, druids, healers, liches... They all go by different names depending on how they manipulate mana. Sometimes just to convince themselves that they're different. But in the end, they all do the same thing. They use magic."

His gaze hardened, and he let out a long, weary sigh.

"We claim to be the wisest, the most enlightened. And for that reason, we restrict those we deem dangerous… or so we say."

A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of the night-blooming flowers from the gardens below, but it did little to lift the weight in the air.

"And now, when it suits us, we turn to the very practices we once outlawed."

"My king..." Oswald attempted to interject, his voice cautious, filled with reverence.

"Tell me, Oswald," the king continued, as if he hadn't heard him. "Magic that disturbs the balance of reality was forbidden long ago. Legends say it brings ruin to those who wield it. And yet..."

He gripped the balcony tighter, his knuckles turning white as his voice dropped to a whisper laden with torment.

"How can I call myself a king if I do not trust the potential of my own people? How can I gamble with their lives for the sake of my whims?"

The pressure he exerted on the marble grew, fine cracks spreading across its once-flawless surface.

"If everything goes wrong..." his voice faltered, but he pressed on, now barely audible. "Will I be remembered as a fool?"

The marble gave way, shattering beneath his grip. He stared at the fallen fragments, yet his expression remained unchanged.

"It doesn't matter," he sighed, his voice heavy with resignation. "I've forgotten something important... in the end… no one will remember this story."

Oswald remained silent, his gaze fixed on the king. Even adorned with all the splendor of a monarch, his figure seemed small beneath the weight of the moon and the burden he bore.

...............

'I have to do something'. The thought struck me as my mind raced, weighing my options. But what could I do? I was surrounded, with few resources, and a helpless cub in my arms.

My eyes darted to the white wolf still locked in fierce combat ahead—a whirlwind of strength and grace as she faced off against the massive black bear, the apparent leader of the pack.

The bear's strikes were swift and brutal, its sheer size forcing it to remain upright for most of the battle. The white wolf, agile and precise, dodged its attacks with remarkable skill, countering whenever an opening presented itself. But it wasn't enough.

The bear wielded earth magic, attempting to trap the wolf, destabilize her stance, and break her rhythm. Yet, she moved with unparalleled finesse, the air itself shimmering faintly around her—an unseen shield aiding her defense.

'That bear… it must be a Rank 3 beast as well'. I realized, watching how evenly matched the fight was. 'She won't be able to win this quickly. And the elemental affinities aren't in her favor.'

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my heart, which pounded like war drums in my chest.

"I can't keep going like this," I muttered to myself, trying to keep my voice steady despite the crushing weight of the moment.

With the cub pressed tightly against my chest, I closed my eyes for a brief second, searching within myself for the strength I knew I would need. The chaos around us was deafening—roars, howls, the sharp swish of claws slicing through the air. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the damp earth and the rustling of crushed leaves beneath the wolves' paws and the bears' claws.

It was reckless, and I knew it. But in the midst of chaos, even the deadliest predators could be deceived.

'I need a plan'. My mind raced, scrambling for a way out—something, anything, that could give us a chance at survival. And then, like a spark in the darkness, the idea struck.

"Dr. Wolf, this is our only shot." My voice was low but laced with determination. I crouched down, holding the cub even closer to my chest, pressing my body against his. 

"I need you to trust me... When I give the signal, you move. Got it?"

Dr. Wolf didn't answer, but something in his stance shifted. Even without words, I knew he understood.

He kept dodging the bears' relentless attacks with expert precision, countering whenever an opening presented itself. I clung to his back with every ounce of strength I had, the cub nestled against me. In this moment, my only purpose was to shield him—and find a way out of this alive.

BOOM!

The battle between the white wolf and the black bear, the enemy leader, had reached a whole new level of intensity. Both were wounded, their bodies marked with deep gashes and slashes. Roars and howls filled the battlefield, blending with the distant echoes of explosions from elsewhere in the forest.

The air around the white wolf shimmered, pulsing with raw, condensed wind magic. She threw her head back and let out a piercing howl before lunging forward, the energy around her jaws coalescing into translucent fangs of pure magical force—razor-sharp, deadly.

The black bear answered her challenge, his silver claws extending, glowing with an eerie brilliance as he unleashed a roar so powerful it rattled my very bones.

The clash was inevitable—a collision of raw power and refined magic.

"NOW!" I bellowed, emptying my lungs with the force of the command.

Dr. Wolf reacted instantly, kicking away one of the smaller bears attacking him before surging toward the battlefield where the leaders clashed. I leaned in closer, gripping onto him with all my strength to avoid being thrown off by our increasing speed. Around us, a thin layer of wind formed like a second skin—shielding us, amplifying our momentum.

'It's now or never', I thought, channeling all the ambient mana around me.

— "Droplet!" — I whispered, focusing the water element at the tip of my finger.

A small sphere of water began to form, but it wasn't enough. My mind raced, pulling more energy from my surroundings, feeding it into the droplet. Slowly, it expanded until it reached the size of my palm.

'Still not enough', I thought, sweat dripping down my forehead as I wove lightning into the sphere.

— "Charge." — Sparks flickered dangerously within the liquid, unstable and volatile. The sphere trembled under the pressure of its internal energy, but I held my focus.

In seconds, we were within arm's reach of the battle. The black bear turned its head toward us, momentarily distracted—a crucial opening. It raised its remaining claw to strike at the white wolf but redirected the other toward us.

"Dr.!" I called out.

Dr. Wolf leapt with precision, and in that exact moment, I acted.

— "Gale!" — I channeled wind mana into Dr. Wolf's body, propelling his jump higher, allowing us to barely evade the razor-sharp claw slicing through the air.

The white wolf seized the opportunity. Adjusting her trajectory, she lunged, her wind-enforced fangs sinking deep into the bear's left arm. A deafening roar of agony echoed through the forest as the beast staggered back, blood pouring from the severed limb.

The moment Dr. Wolf landed, I activated the spell again, launching us straight toward the bear's exposed side.

— "Gale!" — The wind propelled us forward like an arrow.

With the electrified water sphere crackling in my palm, I locked onto the bear's gaping wound.

— "MAXIMUM CHARGE!" — I roared, pouring every ounce of energy left into the attack.

The bear had no time to react. The sphere buried itself deep into the open wound, and in an instant, unleashed a devastating electrical explosion from within. Its body convulsed violently, muscles spasming as if pulled by unseen wires. The raw energy ripped through its insides, its blood surging out in torrents, staining the forest floor in crimson.

"If it won't go from the outside," I murmured, my voice hoarse and unsteady. "Then it'll burn from the inside."

Without wasting a second, I seized the opportunity.

— "Flame!" — I shouted, channeling fire mana in a flash and releasing the spell. My hands trembled, but my resolve never wavered. The fire didn't need to be overwhelming—just strong enough to ignite what was left.

The moment the flame touched the electrified water sphere, chaos erupted. The lightning surged wildly, crackling with renewed fury as the water and blood began to evaporate. A thick curtain of steam engulfed the bear, and for a brief moment, everything fell eerily silent.

BOOM!

The explosion that followed was deafening, the shockwave ripping through the battlefield. I was sent hurtling backward, my body tossed through the air like a leaf caught in a raging storm.

"WHO SAYS BASIC SPELLS ARE USELESS?!" I yelled, adrenaline coursing through me as I was thrown.

The cub let out a soft whimper in my arms, and instinct took over—I twisted midair, curling around him like a human shield.

My fall was broken by something firm yet yielding—two wolves who had abandoned the fight to protect me. The impact still knocked the wind from my lungs, but I was alive.

The scene around me was a blur of chaos. The black bear let out one final, guttural roar—a sound so deep and raw it seemed to shake the very trees—before its massive body gave out. With a thunderous crash, it collapsed, the ground trembling beneath its weight.

I drew in a shaky breath, my limbs trembling uncontrollably from exhaustion. The cub stirred in my arms, his tiny head peeking out, dazed but unharmed.

Dr. Wolf approached swiftly, his sharp gaze scanning me for injuries. I forced a weak smile, drained but relieved.

"We did it," I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath.

The white wolf was approaching as well. Her body still radiated power, but she was covered in battle scars, her flank stained with blood, and her golden eyes burning with intensity. When our gazes met, the world around us seemed to freeze for a brief moment.

No words were exchanged, but the understanding between us was undeniable.

The battle still raged on around us—the roars of the remaining bears clashing against the howls of the wolves. But in that instant, as I caught my breath and felt the warmth of the cub in my arms, I realized we had gained something far more important: a chance to fight another day.