The Academy’s Rejected Mage

Swallowing Magic

Kai’s POV

A monster jumps from the roof. “Left!” Someone yells. I turn to see a small creature charging straight at me.

Before I can raise my hand, Jafser’s whirlwind hits it first and the creature crashes into the wall. Jafser grins excitedly. “Did you see that? I saved you.” I look at him, locking my jaw. “You didn’t.”

“I absolutely did.” Aelia laughs behind us as we keep moving deeper into the dungeon. The next few monsters we see aren’t much stronger either. A pack of crawling creatures, a winged beast. Two creatures with sharp claws that barely last five seconds against Orin’s fire.

Eventually, even Jafser gets bored. “Is this supposed to be a dungeon? I was expecting something more.” He really was. After all, he told me all about it.

Orin looks ahead. “Trust me, keep moving. We haven’t reached the dangerous section.”

“How much farther?” Jafser asks. “Until you stop complaining,” I reply in Orin’s place. He sucks his teeth at me. We make another turn on a different lane and suddenly, the temperature drops.

I stop moving for a second. “What is it?” Aelia asks immediately. “Something’s ahead,” I reply and everyone goes quiet, listening attentively.

Then we hear a sudden heavy footstep marching towards us in a way that makes the ground tremble. Jafser’s smile disappears as he turns to me. “That sounds bigger than the others.”

“Everyone get ready,” Orin says immediately. His words are quickly followed with a roar that shakes the tunnel.

Finally, something enormous steps into the candlelight.

It is truly bigger than the others, with a skin that is covered in thick black scales and two massive horns resting on its head.

One student takes a step backward. “Are you sure that’s a normal dungeon monster?” No one answers. Orin’s voice cuts into the darkness. “Attack!” Fire bursts from his hands, Aelia sends a ball of water, Jafser launches his spell, Sylvia follows with a lightning strike.

Everything hits the monster at once but it doesn’t fall. “Again!” They throw another attack, and I just stand behind them, useless because with my necklace on, I can’t do anything. The monster charges forward.

“Move!” Orin barks. Everyone scatters around. Its claws pounce straight to where Aelia is standing. I instinctively rush forward, but she manages to roll away on time. “I’m fine!”

“Why is it not working? He’s not falling,” someone cries.

“Hit it again!” Someone throws another blast. The others follow. Then something strange happens. A dark pull suddenly forms in front of me and the magic meant to hit the monster changes direction, bouncing straight into me.

“What…” I whisper. Everyone stops, turning to face me.

Someone tries their magic again, to my horror, it crashes into my body once again for all to see.

“What the hell was that?” Mara asks. Jafser looks at me. “Did you just…” Aelia’s face has gone pale. “Kai?”

I shake my head quickly. “I didn’t do that, I swear.”

Orin slowly steps backward. “I knew this would happen.”

I look at him. “What? Why would you say that? It has never happened before.” He doesn’t answer. He turns to the others. “We’re not safe here. Not with him swallowing our magic.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“Then who, Kai? Who is responsible for what we just witnessed with our own eyes?”

“I have no idea but it’s not me.” None of the other students speak, not even Aelia. “I think we need to get out,” Orin says, already leading the students backward. They all look terrified and I understand, however, this has never happened to me before.

The monster roars again, charging forward. They all turn at once. Orin quickly launches another spell and I step away, but it doesn’t matter. The moment it leaves his hand, it bends toward me. I can already tell this is their last stretch.

Aelia looks at me.“Are you doing this on purpose?”

I shake my head. “No.” “That’s a lie,” a different student says. “You’re doing this on purpose. You want to be the only one that takes down that monster so everyone will praise you, right? That’s why you’re trying to sabotage us.”

Another monster comes from the side. Someone tries to attack for the last time but the same thing happens. The monster punches the wall and they start panicking. “We can’t use our magic here, we have to leave!” Orin yells at the crowd again.

“How are we going to run past all the others behind? We can’t fight them. He'll swallow it.” She looks at me.

Orin suddenly stops, his voice low. “Fine. We lock him in.” Aelia looks at him. “What?”

“You heard me. We can’t leave with him, it's dangerous. He’s absorbing everything.”

“Still, we can’t just lock him in here with the monsters. It’s dangerous for him—.”

“He is the only monster here, Aelia!” Mara yells. “We have to go.”

Orin grabs her arm. “Get off me.” She pulls away. I don’t move or try to stop the situation because they’re right. They’re not safe leaving with me.

Orin grabs her again, this time he essentially pulls her off the ground. She tries her magic on him so he can let go but it ends up bouncing into me again. I laugh dryly. She looks at me as she’s been dragged out, hoping I’ll stop it.

I don’t. Not with the monster roaring. Not when the entire tunnel seems like it’s about to explode.

Orin drags Aelia out of sight. She’s still yelling and pushing for me to stop it. I don’t move. The door opens, one by one I hear the student rush out. Then the door begins closing.

“Stop! Don’t close it. Kai is still in there!” I hear Aelia’s voice one last time. “We are safer with him in there!” The door slams shut.