The Demon King rose up from the crimson flames of hell, his talons swiped through the smoke viciously as he climbed the ragged steps to his throne. I watched as he slid gracefully into his seat upon the charred stone and narrowed his eyes in my direction. Gulping nervously, I pushed myself to my feet, my eyes locked with his, I couldn’t seem to look away. A deadly dance of golden fire sealed me in place, sweat dripped from my brow but I made no move to wipe at it. “Why have you come here?” He asked with an incline of his chin, his eyes narrowing further. I shivered involuntarily and opened my mouth to reply but no words would come, a sense of loss washed over me, why was I here? What had I been doing exactly? Panicked now, I tore my eyes from him to stare at the ground and collect my thoughts. A calming presence drew my attention to my hand, I realised I was wielding a sword. It glinted brilliantly in the firelight, a jet-black shine of steel. It was heavy, but a good heavy, comforting. My eyes snapped back to the Demon, and I lifted my chin defiantly. “I have come here to slay you, Demon King, your reign is over.” I gripped my sword tighter as I climbed the steps. His eyes followed my movements lazily as I rose to stand upon the platform before him, surrounded by hellfire. “You are to fight me with my own sword?” he smirked and lounged further back in his seat, his dark hair falling slightly into his eyes, my stomach flipped, “that hardly seems fair?” His hand reached up to sweep the strands of hair out of his face as he watched me intently. A shock of confusion passed through my body as his words echoed in my head. Why would he claim my sword as his own? “Come take it back then,” I growled and stepped forward, dismissing his trickery. I did not miss the glint of approval in his eyes as he moved to block my attack. My body hummed with delight, making me frown internally at the thought. I jumped back away from him, shaking my head violently. What the hell was I thinking? Realising my distraction too late, I snapped my attention back to him only to see an empty throne. Growling at my mistake, I twisted on the spot and crashed against his chest. Heat flew to my cheeks, I clutched the swords hilt tightly, but he already had his hand atop mine, guiding the blade away from him as he lifted my chin with his other hand to stare down at me. I froze, feeling conflicted. Lost, I was lost. Why did I want to kill the Demon King? His reign was over? Those words didn’t sound like my own. Why was I even here? I moved to pull away, but his eyes held me in place. He smiled down at me, his thumb gently stroked my cheek, his hand began to trail down my neck. The familiarity made me want to vomit. My eyes hardened and I pulled for my sword. Hurt flickered across his face as he held me firmly, my lips pursed. “Unhand me, Demon.” “Have you so easily forgotten me?” I stared hungrily at his lips as he spoke. Pain exploded in my head as the confusion hit me again. Everything felt so wrong. Why was I here? Why was I feeling so torn? The Demon King had ruined everything, destroyed everything, I had no home, nothing to go back to, all because of him. I met his eyes once again, the pain behind them intensifying. He had to be playing with me, some kind of filthy mind magic? “Stop looking at me like that,” I snapped harshly and tore myself away from him, releasing his sword from my grasp and calling forth my magic. Black flames erupted from my palms, and I hurled them at him one after another furiously. The Demon King lifted his sword to deflect each attack with a dejected grace. This only fuelled my anger further, my fire increased in size and power as I roared and charged towards him. I threw everything I had into each blow as he danced away from me. My chest heaved with the effort and my aggression soared ever higher the more he avoided my attacks and refused to counter with his own. “Fight me, damn it!” I snarled and slammed my fist into his pretty face. My mouth stretched into a wicked grin as his body crashed down the stairs. I chased after him quickly, smashing my boot down atop his chest. The ground concaved around his body at the force of the impact and before I’d realised it, I’d created a fireball dripping of dark magic, so large it devoured him entirely. Gasping, I wobbled backwards and dropped to the stone beneath my feet feeling utterly drained. What had I done? A hideous laugh erupted behind me, and I tensed, turning my head to find the old priest chuckling maniacally. He was joined by a group of people dressed similarly to him, though I didn’t recognise the others. “It’s over my brothers, my sisters! The King of Darkness has been vanquished at last!” Cheers echoed throughout the cavern however they were quickly met with roars. Demons poured out of the crevices and began to pick them off one by one. The men and women immediately met the demons with magical force, hurling a colourful array of attacks at the swarm. The priest joined my side as I stood shakily, dread filled my bones as I watched the two parties clash violently. “You did well Rovenia, the demon is dead.” Those words shattered me beyond repair. A whimper escaped my throat and I gagged. I gripped at my throat uncomfortably and found a thick band surrounded it, a collar of sorts? I snarled and pulled at it, electricity jolted through me unexpectedly and I dropped to the ground screaming in agony. “Yes, you forgot about that didn’t you. Defiance is an ugly thing. You never did learn your place did you, girl?” The priest spat at me and slammed his foot into my side. I cried out and curled in on myself as another wave of shocks tore through my body. I remembered now. They’d taken me from this place, from him. “Lucien,” I whispered hoarsely and turned my head, stretching to peer into the hole in the ground beside me. His body was still, his face pristine, like he was sleeping, but I knew what I’d done to him. What they’d made me do. Every ounce of dark magic that I’d thrown into each attack. Everything around me crashed to a halt as something snapped inside me. I ripped the choker from my neck and slammed it into the priests face ferociously. His body slammed into the stone with a sickening crack. He didn’t move again. My body set ablaze with a dark fire as I stalked towards the group of men and women. The first to attack me crumbled to dust, the second followed, and the third, till I’d incinerated the entire group. The demons eyed me silently as I crept back to Lucien’s side. I crumpled beside him, my heart fractured as I leant in and kissed his forehead lightly. I placed my hand atop his heart and stilled as I delved into the deepest parts of myself, drawing up every drop of magic I had within me. Magic poured from my fingertips, leaking out of me in waves and seeping into him. My love for him grew ever more apparent as my memories of he and I together flooded back to me. Our love was turbulent, chaotic, but true. It was fierce and so very strong, and I had ruined it, I had ruined everything. My vision blurred and I wiped at my eyes furiously with my palm before returning it to his chest. I concentrated harder on directing my magic into his heart, my body wavered, and I clenched my teeth stubbornly as I willed myself to continue. I knew the power would be intense, like I was battling against myself, but losing him was not an option. I gave everything I had to him, down to the very last and final drop, and so empty I became as I clutched tightly to him, begging him breathlessly to return to me. I watched for what felt like hours though I’m sure only minutes must have passed and then some more. When he didn’t stir, a part of me broke. The demons left us one after another until we were left alone in that barren cavern. I curled up beside him and waited. The fires surrounding us died and I waited still, so empty I felt, and so heavy, but my arms were full. When I finally began to fade away from this world, I clutched him tighter and dreamt of his golden yellow eyes as my world turned to black. -xxx- I awoke to a comforting warmth enveloping me entirely. I reached out only to feel the leathery hide of what was unmistakeably beastlike. My eyes snapped open and landed upon a magnificent creature, black as the night, rows of talons and eyes glowing a scorching yellow. My power had returned to me, though it felt different now. The beast nuzzled against me, and I snuggled back against him. My magic no longer felt dark, but bright. I hadn’t expected it to manifest like this. I didn’t believe my power would return at all. Smoke wisped its way around the dragon and slowly disappeared to reveal a man, Lucien. He placed his hand atop my head and smirked down at me. “Rovenia.” My heart skipped and I melted into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a searing kiss, “don’t ever forget me again,” he murmured against my lips. I chuckled lightly, “if this is how it plays out each time, then what’s a little memory loss every now and then?” His eyes narrowed and I shivered deliciously. A dragon’s wrath is dangerous indeed.

It had been years and I still dreaded walking down these darkly lit, cobblestoned hallways. If the headmistress hadn’t died I wouldn’t even need to be here, wretched crone. I scowled as I made my way up the winding staircase, littered with portraits of the past headmasters. I ignored all of their roaming eyes and burst through the large oak doors to find Yellavich, one of my old professors, huddled over the headmistress’ desk. The odd mage nearly jumped out of her skin as I entered. “Oh, Anya! You’re here.” Yellavich mumbled as she recovered from my abrupt entrance and shuffled over to me. She was a skittish thing, always had been, and scraggly looking with ridiculously big glasses surrounded by her mass of bushy hair. She never taught me a thing, hopeless really, I’m not sure why she was ever employed at the school. “What are you doing in here?” I asked as I noted the complete disarray of the headmistress’s office with an upturned eyebrow in Yellavich’s direction. The old mage was staring at the ground, completely dazed, like I wasn’t even standing in front of her. She seemed to be completely ignoring my question, I ran a had through my hair with a sigh and stepped further into the room. She shrivelled back away from me. “Professor I truly don’t have the time for this, please hand over the tome.” I continued to look at her expectantly, the strange woman locked eyes with me, staring back at me, her eyes welling with unshed tears as she proceeded to ignore my command and instead, rushed for the box of tissues upon the desk by the window. I sighed again irritably and walked over to the desk as she began to wail. “Oh Anya, how terrible it must have been for you, finding her like that.” Yellavich cried and snorted loudly into the tissue she’d claimed. I rolled my eyes and started searching the desk for the tome, ignoring the woman’s antics. “Did she say anything to you at all dear? Maybe a clue as to who attacked her? Anything?” She flinched as I returned her gaze. “No.” I watched her as she walked around the desk. She collected a few vials and placed them in her bag. “Where is the tome?” I asked, my tone laced with suspicion. “I believe it’s in the bookcase dear.” I eyed the mess of a mage a moment longer before whipping around and searching through one of the many bookcases within the room. “Ah, here it is Anya.” I turned to find Yellavich standing before me, her arm outstretched with the book I’d been searching for. The dark green leather and gold trimmed book glowed brightly atop her hand. I snatched the book from her and turned to leave. “What do you need it for dear?” I paused, raising a brow at her. “Not that it’s any of your concern, professor, but my superiors requested that I retrieve it.” “Ah I see, and what for indeed, I wonder? That is a very dangerous tome, Anya.” I faced her expectantly. I couldn’t quite place the feeling, but the hairs on the back of my neck had raised. My body had tensed of its own accord, the threat was unknown but clearly apparent, Yellavich looked concerned. “You know, I always thought you’d turn out to be a witch of healing, just like me, Anya. I guess I can never pick them, can I? But graduating as a sorceress, most impressive. Most impressive indeed! Not quite a fan of military mages myself though, I must admit.” Yellavich chuckled to herself. “I don’t believe I asked, professor.” My eyes narrowed, she was wasting my time. “I have to return to the council.” I turned and made my way back down the staircase, only to find myself standing outside the double oak doors of the headmistress’ office once more. I had definitely walked down the stairs moments ago. I frowned and turned back to the staircase only to see the building seemed to have been torn apart. The staircase had been obliterated, the entire side of the tower was gone and what was left was crumbling apart. Wide eyed, I ripped the doors to the office back open and rushed inside. The room appeared as it was before, the objects within still strewn about the room, confused I stared down at the book in my hands. Had it done this? “Professor? Are you still here?” She wasn’t in the room any longer as far as I could see. I ran over to the window and stared down into the courtyard below. All seemed normal upon the ground. I wasted no time smashing the window open with a quick explosive spell and leapt out of the building, conjuring air to my feet as I fell. The moment I touched the ground inside the courtyard I found myself back in front of the double oak doors of the office back in the tower. I growled, my frustration rising. The staircase still crumbled away behind me, and it was now clear that someone did not want me to leave the office. Tome still in hand, I kicked the doors in and stomped back into the room once more. “Yellavich, what exactly do you want?” “Oh dear, I’m so glad you asked.” I jumped as she appeared beside me, knocking me to the ground. I felt the tome disappear from my hands as I collected myself and stood to face the witch. “You want the tome? Is that why you were here, searching for it?” “Of course, dear.” A wretched smile stretched across her pale face. “Why not just take it before I arrived? Why hand it to me in the first place?” I asked, genuinely confused. “Because it will only appear for you, you saw Angelique die, therefore you are now the true owner of the tome. This is why the council sent you to retrieve it from her office, why I couldn’t find it till you arrived.” “I, what? Wait, I don’t want the dumb book.” “The tome has chosen you Anya, but don’t worry. I will be its new owner very soon.” The windows within the office began to rattle and the tower started to shake. I watched as Yellavich drew her wand from her robes and pointed it at me. Glaring at the witch before me, I casted a protection spell around myself and dove out of the way of her attack. She didn’t give me a chance to recover as balls of fire rained down around me. I continued to weave my way around them before one knocked me back towards the wall. I snarled as my protection spell wavered against the pressure of the fire. My concentration snapped and I had to dive sideways to avoid the flames that tore through the side of the building, ripping a hole in the wall. The howling winds outside the tower whipped within the room, tearing at the papers and objects within. I dragged my hair out of my face as I moved again, a burst of speed given to me by my air magic gave me the chance to knock the wand from Yellavich’s bony hand. She cried out and ducked away from me, taking the tome with her. A screeching noise reached my ears suddenly and I dropped to my knees wincing, covering my ears with my hands tightly. Yellavich kicked me back towards the giant hole in the wall, but I could do nothing as the screeching continued. She had collected her wand I realised, as the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. The screeching had stopped as abruptly as it had begun, I struggled to my feet as I watched the witch before me. Grinning like a lunatic, she cast me from the tower, the fool. I called upon the air, and I righted myself. I stood in the air before her, staring up at her and waiting for her next move. She was seething mad. I smiled before hurling balls of air back at her one after the other. She ran for cover, throwing up shields with her wand as she went. I ran through the air back towards her, into the tower, “you aren’t going to kill me by tossing me out a window professor, nice try though,” I yelled as I threw another blast of air in her direction. The screeching started up again and I realised too late that it was coming from the tome itself. Yellavich grinned wickedly and ripped the book open as I once again became incapacitated. She started muttering incantations, her eyes beginning to roll into the back of her head. I gritted my teeth as the screeching continued. Her wand clattered to the ground beside her, forgotten as she grasped the tome with both hands. I got to my feet again, shakily as the first wave of dark power hit me. I strained to hold it back, throwing my shields up against the darkness felt paper thin but it was all I had. The next wave of power sent me to my knees, and I felt the blood dripping from my nose as I pushed back even harder against the force. Yellavich droned on even louder now as the darkness crashed around me again, I could feel its shadowy fingers digging into my shield, raking at it hungrily. The screeching grew louder too, almost completely drowning out the witch’s incantations. My blood felt as though it were boiling, it dripped from my nose as black as the shadows surrounding me. The moment my shield tore apart, Yellavich’s eyes snapped open. The shadows encased me, my protection spell waned out of existence, and I gasped as the darkness consumed me. My vision blurred, a sickening crack echoed through my ears and an explosion of pain rattled throughout my entire being. I gasped, panic coursing through me, I threw back everything I had at the shadows with a roar of defiance, magic pouring from my fingertips in waves. From the moment I laid eyes upon the tome, I knew it’s magic would be intense, but I had never imagined it would manifest in a way such as this. I drew the shadows within myself, smothering them. The screeching halted sharply to a ringing silence, my blurred vision returned clear, and I breathed shakily. Yellavich was on the floor, twisted in a crooked heap, the tome lay beside her, shut. I made a move to grab the book but was interrupted by an intense throbbing heat roaring up my spine. I collapsed beside the tome, shrieking horribly. I clutched at the leather-bound pages as I dragged in gasps of air, sweat beaded across my brow and I whimpered. My back was broken. Yellavich had almost killed me. But I had got her. I laid by her wretched body for what felt like hours before I was found. Randalf, an old wizard from the council stumbled across me still clutching that blasted book, blood and sweat coated my face, my chest, my arms. I’ll always remember the look of astonishment plastering his wrinkled face that day. The day I cheated death and became known to all in Mage Country as the Sorceress of the Walking Dead, a Necromancer born from Shadows.