Unawakened: Rise of the Divine Archmage

Chapter 1: To End It All

"Watch your step, Mohr! Wouldn't want you kissing the ground again!" Laughter erupted as four boys stood together, sneering at the lone figure before them.

Ezra was fifteen, brown-haired, brown-eyed, and standing at almost six feet tall.

He turned around to look at the boy that mocked him.

"Hey Quentin! Damn you!" Ezra said as he lifted his middle finger.

"You worthless piece of trash, how dare you!" Quentin shouted. With a flick of his wrist, his fingers traced the air. The wind howled, a sharp gust slamming into Ezra's chest.

BOOM!

Ezra flew backward, crashing onto the hard cobbled street. Pain shot through his body and a metallic taste filled his mouth.

"You should be grateful to me for still letting you live. Even though we both know you're not worth it. Next time you talk back to me, I won't be so kind." Quentin said as he walked away with his friends. Their laughter faded down the street, leaving Ezra sprawled on the ground, staring at the sky, his breathing ragged.

This was normal.

Every. Single. Day.

With a sigh, he wiped the blood from his lips and stood up. His tattered clothes clung to his bruised body as he limped toward home.

This was the world of mages. People with special powers they could use however they wanted. Quentin was one of them, a wind mage. It didn't matter how old you were. As long as you could use magic, you were somebody.

Ezra wasn't lucky enough to be counted as one. He had no affinity from birth. Anybody who couldn't use magic was considered a cripple and treated like one.

He finally reached the slummy part of town where the less privileged rested their heads. Their house looked small from the outside, broken windows, a door barely hanging on, paint long since washed off.

Walking in, Ezra caught the aroma of something delicious from the kitchen. His stomach growled.

"Ezra! Is that you?" An soft voice called from the kitchen.

"Yes mom." Ezra took his seat on the partly broken sofa.

A woman stepped out, wiping her hands on a ragged cloth. Despite the hardships, Elise still looked breathtaking. Long brown hair, kind brown eyes, a soft warm smile. The woman looked to be in her late thirties and was beautiful in a way that felt unfair given where they lived.

"How was your day honey?" Elise asked as she came over to him.

"Horrible as usual." Ezra said with a hint of anger and sadness.

Elise sighed and hugged him. "I'm sorry son that you have to go through all this."

"I feel like it's my fault that you all have to endure this." Ezra said.

"No honey, it's not your fault. It's just the way the world works." Elise said.

"No!" Ezra pulled away from her embrace. "It is my fault. If I had an affinity we would be living better."

"Ezra..." Elise choked up.

"I just wish this was all a bad dream. I'm tired mom" A tear trickled down his face. He stood up. "And I think I know what to do."

He ran into his tiny bedroom and shut the door.

"Ezra! Don't do anything stupid!" Elise ran after him.

Inside his room, Ezra took out the knife he kept hidden and stared at it. Every day he thought about this. Every day he stopped himself. He wasn't sure he could stop himself today.

Voices came.

"Do it Ezra. Do it."

"You are useless to your family and yourself. It will be better to just end it."

Like two devils whispering at once. He lifted the knife and stared at the blade.

"Just do it and get it done with."

He was almost ready. He lifted the knife higher and then a loud shout broke out from the living room.

"Huh? Mom?" Ezra threw the knife down and ran out.

Two men stood in front of his mother. Their faces were pale. Elise was trembling.

"What's going on?" Ezra demanded, looking between them.

"It's... it's your..." Elise struggled to speak, choking on tears.

"What's going on mom? Tell me. Please." Ezra pleaded.

"Kid, I need you to be brave." One of the men said.

"Will someone just tell me what's happening?" Ezra's voice rose.

"Ezra, it's your dad." Elise said, tears streaming down her face.

"Dad? What happened to dad?"

"Kid, your dad is dead. He died when a beast broke out at his work site. He was killed on the spot." The second man said.

Ezra felt like a lightning bolt had crashed through him. His world collapsed right in front of him and he stood there, rooted, saying nothing.

"I know it's hard to hear. Be brave for your mother." The first man signalled to his colleague and they left.

Elise was on her knees, crying her eyes out. Ezra didn't know what to do. He turned and walked slowly out of the house.

"Ezra!" Elise shouted after him.

He didn't stop.

His body moved and his mind raced and he didn't know where he was going until the trees swallowed him and he realized he had walked into the woods where beasts were rumored to roam.

"If dad is dead, then what is the point of my existence?" He thought. "Won't it be better to go be with him wherever he is."

He stopped in the middle of the woods. Hot tears streamed down his face.

"Arghhhhhhhhh!" He screamed into the sky and fell to his knees, banging his fists into the hard soil.

"GRRRRRRR!"

A loud growl. A large wolf, hung its head low and was heading straight for him.

He looked at it and smiled.

"At last." Ezra stood and faced the beast, waiting.

The wolf lunged. Ezra closed his eyes.

He felt nothing.

Then a thud hit the ground in front of him. He opened his eyes. The wolf lay dead at his feet. No wound. No sign of what had killed it.

"What the?!?"

He looked up. A wave of bright white light was rolling through the trees toward him.

It hit him in a split second and knocked him out cold.