Fractured Soul

Chapter 7: Candles

Fire. This was what Mella had been waiting for all morning.

“Before we really start, just realize magic doesn’t actually require any words-only powerful spells need words-it only needs feeling.”

Rei got up and yanked a candle out of one of the holders on the wall and blew it out. She came back and sat down again, setting the candle down between them.

"You're going to light the candle with magic. I want you to draw on your center, focus, and make the candle light. Like this," Rei pointed at the candle and it flared to life almost instantly.

Rei put the candle out and gestured to Mella.

"Your turn." She stated simply.

Mella stared at the candle. Rei had made it look so easy. But she had more practice in it, of course it was easy for her. Slowly, she raised her left hand and pointed at the candle. To her surprise, it lit instantly.

Rei inhaled sharply.

"Amazing. Most students don't light a candle for weeks, and you managed on the first day."

Rei stood up and clapped her hands. All of the candles in the room went out with snakes of smoke, hissing as they slithered towards the ceiling.

"Try to light them all now. This is the next step." Rei's voice floated to her through the darkness.

Mella was slightly overwhelmed. One candle was one thing but a whole room of them? This is one hell of a next step…Mella thought. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She spread her arms and fingers out wide and released the magic, willing it to the candles.

Light flared red through her eyelids. Squinting, Mella opened her eyes.

All of the candles were lit. Even a candelabra in the ceiling had all of its lights twinkling. Rei was standing under it, and she had a look of utter astonishment. Somehow to Mella, this all felt very familiar…

The pain slammed into her head like an oncoming train. Images played like a film past her eyes.

"Light your candles children."

Bri looked at the group of them. All the other children were having difficulty lighting the candles. They would spark and flicker feebly before going out in a puff of smoke.

She pointed at her own little candle and it lit instantly. Bri smiled at her.

Flash forward.

She was in a room, alone in the dark. She knew there were candles near her, so she lit them. Myra was standing in the doorway, her face terrified.

"Mella, you have to leave. Now! Take these!" Myra shoved a thin box into her arms and pointed to the window hanging open. To Mella's horror, she saw that Myra's hands were blistered and burned.

Mella heard pounding on the front door.

"Go! Myra yelled, pushing her towards the window.

Mella turned and ran towards the open window as she heard the front door shatter with a splintering of wood. She heard yelling behind her, but she didn't stop or look back.

Fireballs sailed by, orbs of water hurtled past, the earth beneath her feet grew unsteady, and the wind tried to push her back, but Mella didn't stop. Finally the magic attacks faded into the night. She didn't stop running until she saw lights growing along the horizon. The eastern sky was thinking about the dawn when all the lights went out and she knew no more.

"…Mella? Mella, say something child."

Myra's voice floated down to her through the fog in her mind. Mella opened her eyes.

She was lying on her back in Rei's training studio, with two sets of golden eyes looking down worriedly at her. It was Myra and Rei. Mella sat up slowly. Her head was pounding.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You fainted after you lit all the candles." Rei said.

Mella thought back, and the memories she had just witnessed came back to her again.

"I remember. I remember doing things like this when I was younger."

"Wait." Rei sat down next to Myra. "So you're saying that you already know fire magic?"

"I don't know. Maybe. It would explain why that was so easy for me. I think the necklace did something too." She reached up and touched the heart, which responded with a soft glow.

Myra held out her hand. "Mella, take off the necklace for a moment and see if you can do it again."

Mella unhooked the necklace and put it in Myra's outstretched hand. Rei put out the candle on the floor again as they both looked expectantly at her. Mella took a deep breath and pointed at the candle again. It flared back to life as if it had always been alive.

"Mella, why don't you go back to Myra's house? We're done for today." Rei said abruptly, standing up.

"You know the way back. I'll be there in a few minutes or so." Myra said, handing back the necklace.

"Okay." Mella stood up and walked out the door of the studio. The windows didn’t let any light into the studio, but walking back through Rei's kitchen Mella realized that it was dusk. When did it get so late? Was I out that long?

Stepping out into the street, the people who had stared this morning were gone. Most of them had gone back to their own homes. The few people still outside were afraid of her, and didn't come near her.

When will I belong? Mella wondered.

The stars were starting to come out as the last of the light left the world. The walk back to Myra's felt like it happened in the space of a heartbeat. Mella took a long look at the twinkling lights before she went inside, still wishing she knew who she was.