Life in a new Kingdom

Chapter 2

Several days have passed.

The night sky rose above the clouds and gifted me their shroud.

"Lightning Bolt!"

Sparks crackle and fizzle to life as a single stream of heated energy leaves my palm, striking a rock. The loud bang of impact cracks the stone in half. Residual smoke burns off the effect, mirroring the smoke of my hand.

"Tsk... That's the best I can do, huh?" I say with a hint of disapproval.

Every night, I have been traveling deep into the forest by our manor and testing my awakened magic. The only spell I can cast is the basic lightning bolt. They say that the first spell you cast is the element you are most attuned to. Over the last few days, my research revealed that the first spell is also what Demon King you are directly related to in the bloodline. Of course, Shino was fire, but the Demon King who created lightning magic was the Lord of storms, Raiden. Not much was said about his upbringing, just that when he rose to be the next Demon King, he shattered a mountain with a single bolt of lightning from the sky. I researched further and found that he developed the lightning attribute just before his fall. Record holders claimed that with his final breath, he produced a bolt of lightning so powerful, so intense, that it became a streak of crimson. But with great power, there is always a cost. After unleashing such devastating magic, the Crimson Flash, many called it, caused his own body to turn to ash from the blowback of magic within his body. And thus was the final day of Raiden, the Lord of storms.

Magic is a curse. Not only is it taboo by the church but also by the continent's religion. It eats away at the caster. The incredible power that decedents acquire will only backfire upon use. The main reason why I have been testing my limits and abilities is to see how far I can go until the damage becomes severe enough to worry.

So far, I can cast only Lightning Bolt, but it was strong enough to blast stone in just a few days. The numbing feeling in my hand has only improved with each test until tonight. I was prepared to go further beyond. Beyond the limit I set, beyond my capacity...

"Lightning Bolt!" I poured every ounce of energy within me to summon another bolt. My current record was three strong bolts; after that, my entire arm was numb and stiff. Tonight was going to be four.

Sparks crackled and collected in the palm of my hand—a bright blue flash, then the sudden force of air breaking, shattering the sound around me. The violent stream of heated energy blasts outward, hitting the same stone as before. The impact slices through the stone and causes it to shatter and explode.

Kaboom!

"G...Grahh!" I yelled in pain. Drops of crimson ran down the length of my hand. Breathing heavily, a wound had opened in my hand; no, something inside my hand combusted and exited from the location. Blood splattered the ground, and I could feel faint from the blood loss. Panic set in as I tried to stop the bleeding desperately. Cries of pain escaped my lips as I began to regret my decision to push myself.

Rustle Snap

I perk up to the sound of twigs and leaves being stepped on. I quickly stood up, concealing my wounded hand to look at the intruder.

"Who's there!?" I shout directly at the location of the sounds.

Standing there, I observed as closely as possible; the moonlight was shaded by the trees overhead, and the darkness swallowed the outline of the person hiding behind a bush. They rustle and approach me cautiously. Instinctively, I reach for my dagger attached to my hip and begin to draw it from its sheath. However, the blade rests back into the sheath as familiar long slanted ears that hold back strands of amber hair. The sparkling green, emerald eyes stare at me, both afraid and worried. Tia stops in front of me and lets a few words escape her lips.