The Broken Wolf

Chapter 3 - Memories

Killian

Today was too long. Almost as if I've aged ten years in the span of a few hours. It felt like I was drudging against mud or wet sand, my entire soul trudged through an unsurmountable amount of shit today.

I tried not to read what happened. The kids I saw today...it took every bit of my energy to stop my Magic from curling around them to get even just a sliver of what they've been through. But I wouldn't do that.

That's the secret to my Gift. Or at least, one of them. I don't know a single Upper-Class Wiccan who doesn't hold their cards close to their chest—and mine is this: I have to work harder not to use my Gift than to actually use it.

My Magic is constantly working. In fact, the first few years of having to tamper it was atrocious. I was exhausted all the time—drained and tired—because I just wanted the silence. I could see memories and hear thoughts.

I could feel the hatred towards me even when no one voiced it. It was ironic, knowing I could read people's thoughts of how afraid they were of me having the potential to read their minds.

Everyone thinks my Mind Warping causes pain, but I learned some time ago how to eliminate that pain. If I cause pain—Mind Warping through memories or forcing someone to do as I say, it's because I want them to feel agony.

When I was teaching King Aiden how to Mind Warp, he specifically chose the powers of memoria invenire. Memory Finding. It was particularly useful during the Rebellion because we'd use it frequently to tell if someone was part of the Rebellion.

Memory Finding can be painful—utterly painful. It took a lot of time and practice over the last few years to fully grasp how to do it without causing that pain. Originally, I intended to share the wealth with the King, but it already strains him to use Magic in general.

No one—no wolf other than the King—has the ability to control Magic. How? I don't know. King Aiden says it's because he has complete control of his wolf, granting him the potential of using Magic as well. Whether this is true, I have no idea.

Werewolves spend far too much time trying to control their wolf side. Just as Vampires struggle with their hunger and faeries with their mischief. Wiccan's, we're just...humans in a way with Magical abilities. We've mastered the ability to control Magic. Though...Magic runs in all supernatural beings. It just comes in different forms but from the same energy source.

I don't question it too much. There are courses offered on the origin and evolution of Magic, but I'm not about to dive deep into it.

Regardless, Aiden is one of the few people in this world I would lay my life for in a single heartbeat. Teaching him some Magic was the least I could do. He found me...saved me...gave me a place to learn and grow and flourish.

So, I gladly showed him Memory Finding and Dream Wandering. One of our Healer's taught him some medicinal Magic. But that's as far as he wanted to learn. He also strains himself every time he does it—like his body is exhausting itself when it tries to control his wolf and Magic.

As far as Mind Warping goes, much like every other Magic in this world, there is a hierarchy. Some Middle-Class Wiccans have some telepathic capabilities or ability to Memory Find. A few Lower-Class are Empaths—able to understand someone's emotions, potentially changing them with touch or feel.

I guess what puts me at the top of the food chain is the ability to do it all. But it's exhausting...it takes more of my time and effort to stop from reading others than to just read them.

"You were gone for longer than I anticipated." Saanvi says as we round the corner together towards the dormitories.

The most I can give her is an apologetic smile. "I promise you that I was preoccupied with something quite urgent."