I AM A GOD

Henry Stormlight sat in the old science spell room of Capricorn Practicing Mages Academy.

Most students didn't even bother to learn his name. To them, he was simply a jerk or a waste of space.

He wore a dark grey robe that seemed to swallow his frame. His messy dark brown hair framed a face with unique grey eyes and thick eyebrows, while countless sleepless nights had left dark circles beneath his eyes.

He had spent almost a year at this elite magic university, but while his peers were manifesting complex enchantments, Henry could not learn a single spell. For reasons no one could explain, every incantation he uttered failed to light even a match.

He steadied his breath, his eyes shut tightly as he reached for the spark of magic. Stretching out his hands, he whispered the words for a basic fireball, but only a thin wisp of grey smoke rose from his palms.

Another failure, as always.

He gnashed his teeth and pressed both hands against his forehead as the familiar bitterness of another failed experiment rose in his throat.

That was his 99th failure in a row.

Suddenly, the heavy door was kicked open.

Oregon, the notorious academy bully, sauntered in with a lazy smirk, followed by Bel, Divia, and Shong.

"If it isn’t the talented mage of our time, still struggling to light a match," Oregon sneered, his words sending daggers into Henry’s already torn heart.

"I’m busy, Oregon. Leave me alone," Henry said, his voice steady despite the familiar sting.

"Busy doing what? Proving you’re a defect?" Shong laughed, his voice echoing through the halls.

"Well, I’m working on a spell that helps people mind their own business," Henry fired back.

"That isn’t funny!" Divia barked, stepping forward.

He suddenly raised his hand, and a ball of fire erupted, slamming into Henry’s chest. The impact sent Henry flying backwards, his back hitting the stone wall with a dull thud.

"Look at him! He can’t even cast a shield! How pitiful!" Oregon laughed, summoning a small flame of his own.

"You’re a mistake that shouldn’t be sniffing the same air as us. Your presence in this school is a slap in the face of every mage in the world.

"And if it weren’t for these stupid laws, we would have fixed that a long time ago!" he growled.

He walked over and pressed the flame towards Henry’s face.

"Or maybe if I burn that pretty face of yours, your magic will finally wake up, since that’s the only talent you have."

He sneered as Henry trembled under the suffocating heat, even though he tried to appear strong.

The flame drew closer. Henry’s curls stirred in the heat, and his stomach twisted as sweat streamed down his face.

Just as the flame singed Henry’s hair, the temperature in the room plummeted. A golden light flooded the space, and a forceful gust of air pushed the door open.

A face burning with anger appeared in the doorway, looking exactly like Henry’s.

It was Alistair Stormlight, the golden boy of Capricorn Academy.

He was Henry’s twin brother, but the resemblance ended at their faces.

Alistair was a prodigy who had mastered third-tier spells in his first month. He walked with an air of absolute authority, his mana radiating outwards like a physical weight that made Oregon’s knees buckle.

Oregon’s flame vanished instantly, his hand trembling as he shrank back.

"That's enough play for now. You can have him later, but right now, I have to take him to see our parents."

Disappointment flashed across the bullies' faces as they reluctantly walked away, their expressions filled with venom.

Nobody in the university would dare go against Alistair’s orders. Even some of the academy tutors were afraid of him because of how powerful he was.

Once they were gone, the brothers were left alone in the room, and Henry turned towards Alistair with a deep frown.

"I am not going to see our parents if that's why you're here playing saviour."

"Obviously, I wouldn't have saved you from such a fun game with Oregon and his crew if it weren't something important. So come along…"

Alistair had already turned to leave, but Henry didn't move an inch.

To everyone else, Alistair was the perfect figure, the kind of person Henry could never hope to become, despite their shared looks.

But Henry knew him better than anyone else.

Ever since they were born, Alistair had been his lifelong bully, masking his cruelty behind care whenever they were in public.

"I said I am not going anywhere. As you can see, before you came along, I was practicing."

Alistair stopped in his tracks. His face hardened as he strode back towards his brother.

"Practicing?"

A burst of dark, cruel laughter escaped his lips as he glanced at the practice materials before turning his attention back to Henry, whose hands were clenched tightly at his sides.

"Practicing? We all know that you can never be as good at magic as I am. We all know that you will always be pathetic and useless.

"The only thing you're good at is maintaining my public image. Otherwise, I would have ended you already."

He paused and wiped the sweat from his face.

"Do you want to see what real power looks like? Something you can never grasp in your lifetime, no matter how hard you try?"

A wisp of flame appeared in Alistair’s hand. It grew steadily, swelling in size until an intense blue glow filled the room.

Without any magic affinity to protect himself, Henry felt every bit of its heat against his skin. He gnashed his teeth in anger, but the pressure bearing down on his chest grew so intense that each breath became a struggle.

"Fine," he finally muttered between gasping breaths.

Alistair withdrew his magic, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Great."

He walked towards Henry and patted his wavy hair.

"Come along and play the pathetic little brother while I play the saviour, will you? And don't make any comments that will make Dad and Mom angry. I've been practicing, and I've been the perfect student, unlike you, who has been lazing around. That's the story. If you don't stick to it, I don't need to remind you of the consequences."

Henry followed him to the lodge without another word.

It was always the same with Alistair. One moment, he could threaten Henry's life, and the next, he would act like the most caring brother in the world.

When they entered the lodge, Henry immediately felt the familiar coldness of his parents' reception.

His father didn’t even stand up. He merely looked at Henry, his eyes twitching with irritation.

"This failure again?" his father muttered, a sneer of disdain crossing his face.

"Why did you bring him along? You know we came to see you, our son."

"Father, I am still trying to get Henry to practice. I am sure that he will pick it up really soon. He just needs more time and a sweet tone here and there," Alistair said, resting a gentle hand on Henry’s shoulder.

Only Henry could feel how hard that hand was pressing down on him.

"We cannot all be Alistair, can we now?" Alistair added lightly.

"Trying?" his mother snapped, her voice full of hatred.

"We spent a fortune to get both of you into this academy. Alistair is at the top of the rankings, and this... this thing can’t even light a candle. He is a disgrace to our bloodline. Every time I see his face, I am reminded of our greatest mistake."

"He is my brother! My twin!" Alistair argued, his voice rising in fake frustration. "And it isn’t his fault that he cannot do what I can. He’s doing the best he can with what he has."

"Focus on your own life, Alistair," his father barked. "You have a future. Leave people who don’t have a future alone. Why do you waste your energy on a dead end? He is nothing but a shadow clinging to your success."

Henry stood there, his hands clenched into tight fists until his knuckles turned white.

Shame burned in his chest, but he refused to let a single tear fall. He could hardly bring himself to look at his parents, knowing that all he would find in their eyes was the same hatred and disappointment he had grown accustomed to.

"I was just about to leave anyway," Henry said, his voice flat.

"Henry, please wait," Alistair called, stretching out his hands as though he were reaching for him.

But Henry knew better.

At least here, he could walk away and be stubborn. In front of their parents, his perfect twin would never risk ruining his image by bullying him.

He turned on his heels and walked out, ignoring Alistair’s sad, reaching hand.

He didn’t stop until he reached the streamside at the edge of the academy grounds.

He sat by the water, his mind clouded with dark emotions, and the emptiness inside him felt like it was swallowing him whole.

His parents, his classmates, his former friends, even his own brother, saw him as a failure.

Memories of their endless humiliations flooded his mind.

The most worthless mage in history.

That had become his title.

The false peace of the stream didn’t last long.

A rustling sound came from the bushes behind him, but it wasn't the wind.

Oregon and his thugs stepped out from the trees, their faces grim and dark. This wasn’t another attempt to humiliate him; they looked ready for blood.

"Seems your brother isn't here to stop us from continuing our little game with you, is he?" Oregon whispered, stepping closer.

Before Henry could react, the others closed in and grabbed him from every side with bruising force. They pinned him down, their fingers digging into his skin.

Oregon leaned in, his voice a low hiss in Henry’s ear.

"And without him, guess what? A worthless thing like you doesn’t even stand a chance.”