Rain hammered against the windshield of Danielle's car in a grief-ridden melody as Callum stared at the grey skies from the passenger seat. His eyes searched his right hand from time to time, checking for the presence of the golden ring set with pitch-black onyx. Danielle coughed as she brushed her light brown hair behind her ear and looked at him with her deep green eyes."Are you going to be okay?"Her voice was low, barely louder than a whisper, but Callum heard her. A frown appeared on Callum's face as he tousled his black hair before taking a deep breath."Honestly, I don't know."Callum's icy blue eyes scanned Danielle's face, noticing the concern in her expression as the feeling of emptiness ravaged his heart. His grandfather's funeral had passed in a blur. It felt so unreal at the time, but the weight of the ring on his finger told him otherwise."Do you want me to come in? I can keep you company until Amy comes back."A long sigh escaped Callum's lips as he shook his head. He

The shower was still on, but the water actively avoided him. It was as though a thick, invisible layer was wrapped around his body, keeping it at bay. It didn't matter how he tried to touch the steaming water since the strange barrier moved with him.Callum choked as his heart pounded, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. There was an electrifying sense of power in the air that reeked of danger. It was then that a dull green glow in the corner of his sight drew his attention as he struggled to calm the raging storm within. What the hell is that? Callum stared at his grandfather's ring sitting on the edge of the sink while painting the bathroom in the eerie green light. He could see lines on the dull gold of the same colour as the light while a pattern of circles and lines decorated the onyx.The power the ring exuded resonated with Callum. It was as if a siren was calling out to him, begging him to wear it.He couldn't help but wish he would wake up or that this was all

Sweat ran down Callum's forehead as he attempted to manipulate his mana again. It had taken him several attempts to get the feel for changing the shape.Unfortunately, he found he had to use his hands as a crutch, and could only manipulate the shape by moving his fingers like a puppeteer. Damn, this is hard. He could guess that with practice he would eventually be able to do it using only his mind. However, that thought only made him more frustrated since he couldn't do it right now. This should be enough.He could feel his mana taking the form of two hands, but the flip side of that was the rest of the mana around him becoming thinner. So, if I think of it as a liquid and the shape is the container, it's obvious the extra mass would have to come from somewhere.Something seemed to click when Callum realised that. There was a clear limit to how much mana he could use. Instead of trying to force out more from a dry well, it would be better to use the unneeded mana from elsewhere.Sudd

"What the fuck!" Callum roared as he looked around the kitchen, expecting to see the guy pop out of nowhere. "What just happened?"He would've thought it was a bad dream or that he'd gone crazy if it weren't for the ice shards on the floor and the broken glass of the door. Callum took several deep breaths while trying to calm his pounding heart while remaining vigilant.Suddenly, the sounds of the outside world returned. It must be over. Callum wasn't sure why he thought that, but he was certain it was right. Before he could celebrate, he heard the dreaded sound of footsteps in the hallway. Please, no!"Quick, Maya, check the kitchen." The old voice Callum heard moments before the attack shouted.Callum frowned as a young Nepali woman with straight black hair appeared. It took a moment for her to scan the damage before noticing Callum off to the side. Her eyes went wide for a moment before a bright smile lit up her face."He's here! And he's alive!" Maya called over her shoulder."Hmm

"What the" Maya blurted out when she felt the temperature around them dropping. "How? It's not even been an hour yet!"Callum chuckled at her expression which looked like she had eaten something sour. He swore a smirk on his face as he shrugged."It's not that difficult. I'm sure Master Gurung wouldn't have asked me to do something he didn't think I'd be capable of."It was a loaded statement. After all, Callum was certain it was something that should be beyond the level of someone who didn't have the answers. He only said it like that to see what reaction the old man would have. However, Master Gurung didn't even bother opening his eyes as he nodded. Damn. Either Grandpa told him what our legacy is capable of or he already had his suspicions. If it's the first then it's not a big deal. But if it's the second...Callum chewed on the implications of that question for a moment. Then he's testing the limits of The Magician by using me as a test subject. He could only trust his Grandpa'