The Fractured Mage

Chapter 3 - Magic System(Part 1)

"Go on, introduce yourselves," Ifeus prompted the two girls, as they entered the room, staring at me with looks of intrigue and curiosity in their eyes.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you...my name is Iris Lero," One of them introduced herself politely.

She had snow while hair tied up in a ponytail, a slightly dark complexion, and bright, dark green eyes. Ifeus said that I'm fourteen, right? She looks a bit older, maybe somewhere around sixteen years old or so.

"Hi, there! I'm Lilac Lero, my name's a bit of a tongue twister...try saying it over and over!" Grinned the other girl as she introduced herself in a cheerful, friendly tone.

Yeah, I'd rather not. She's a bit excessively upbeat, huh? She looked like she was a bit younger than Iris, with a similar complexion, dark purple hair tied up in twintails, gleaming red eyes and-...wait, what's that? Something's moving in her chest. Huh? Is...is that a snake?

"Uh...," I muttered in bewilderment, as a green snake poked its head out of her top, its forked tongue flicking out as it stared at me.

"Oh, this is Jade, she's one of my pets," She remarked with a smile, as she lightly stroked the top of the snake's head with a finger.

One of? How many pets does she have?

"I...see. It's nice to meet the two of you...I'm Topaz Oriole...apparently," I responded wryly.

"Again, that's your real name," Chimed in Ifeus as he cleared his throat, before adding as he placed a hand on each of his daughter's shoulders, "Anyway, you'll be living with the three of us from now on, I hope you'll be able to get along with these two. Iris here is about two years older than you, and Lilac is just under a year younger than you, so you're pretty much in the same age group."

Wait, Iris and Lilac are names of flowers, right? I've got names based on a gemstone and a bird...wonder if there's any connection? Nah, that's probably a bit of a stretch. It certainly doesn't seem like they know me, it's pretty clear that this is the first time I'm meeting them.

"You've got kind of a girly face and voice...are you really a guy? Your chest is flat, but that's not totally unusual, so-...hm? Oh, never mind, you've got that bump on your neck, girls don't have that. Guess you're a guy, after all. Hey, your hair and eyes are really cool, I wish I had different colors like you do," Remarked Lilac, as she moved her gaze close to my face and stared into my eyes intently after looking at my hair.

She's, uh, a bit too close...also, I feel kinda insulted here...

"U-uh, thanks, I think...," I muttered awkwardly, as she began messing with my hair.

With the way she's pulling on it, I think she's trying to see where either color begins. Also, why'd I thank her? Most of what she said wasn't exactly flattering.

"Nice, it's an almost perfectly symmetrical split, is it natural or did you dye one half?" She asked me in fascination.

She's way too close, I can feel her breath on my forehead...

"I don't know...," I responded, my mind blanking slightly.

"Oh, right...sorry, I forgot that you-...woah! Hey!" She exclaimed indignantly, as her sister grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back.

"Come on, you're making him uncomfortable, you can't get all up in someone's personal space right after meeting them," Frowned Iris in response, lightly smacking the back of Lilac's head with her palm.

"Ow!"

"Liar, I barely even tapped you."

"Your gorilla knuckles totally hit my skull! Gorilla girl!"

"Why, you little-...!"

"Ahem! Please behave, girls. So, uh...as you can see, my little girls are a lively pair, there's never a dull moment in this house," Ifeus smiled at them fondly, as he ruffled their heads after breaking up their argument, before clearing his throat and adding, "Okay, you two, time to go. I need to speak with Topaz in private...that means no eavesdropping again, or else."

"Don't worry, dad, I'll make sure to keep her in line," Nodded Iris, as she dragged Lilac out of the room, "Come on, let's go."

"Aw, fine, I get it-...okay, stop pulling me, I can walk on my own, you stupid gorilla-...ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" She exclaimed as Iris pulled on her ear, dragging her out of the room and shutting the door.

"So, uh...what's this about?" I inquired curiously.

"Before I get to that, let me take a precaution...[Spatial Art: Telekinetic Dome]," He chanted, snapping his fingers, "There, now no one can get close to this room."

He put up a barrier around the room, and a pretty powerful one at that. Seems kinda overkill.

"Are you a Spatial Mage?" I asked him, looking around at the barrier he'd created in fascination.

I've never seen a barrier this strong bef-...oh, right, I have amnesia. I almost forgot, ironically enough.

"Well, you're half right, but not quite...I am a Mage of the Space Class, yes, but I'm well above the Basic Tier. As you should know, there are several Mage Classes. When first awakening their Magic System, a Mage usually starts off at the Basic Tier of their Class. Spatial Mage is the Basic Tier of the Space Class. Above that, is the Ascended Tier, which in this case, would be Shadow Mage. And finally, the highest level of each Class, the Apex Tier. In the case of the Space Class, those who've reached the Apex Tier are known as Dimensional Mages. Which is what I am," He explained, a smug look on his face.

Woah, for real? If I'm not mistaken, there are always just a few Apex Tier Mages in existence at any one time, it's incredibly difficult and rare for Mages to achieve the Apex Tier of their Class. This guy's really one of them? Really?

"Uh, okay, if you say so..."

"...you don't believe me, do you? Well, that's fine, it's no big deal. Anyway, here's what I wanted to discuss...regardless of whether you decide to join my Guild or not, either way, I'd advise you to train in mastering your Magic. It's always good to be capable of defending yourself, after all," He pointed out.

"Yeah, true enough. Okay, I'll do that," I nodded in agreement.

"Tell me...," He began, pausing for a moment with a look of hesitation in his eyes, before shaking it off and continuing, "Do you remember what your Class is?"

Oh, right, since I'm fourteen, I've probably already awakened my Magic System. The average age at which a person is able to do so is usually around twelve or thirteen, though it's possible at a younger age as well, it depends on the individuals willpower and intelligence, among other factors.

Some people may never awaken their Magic System and become Mages, while others have such strong aptitude that they may even start off as Ascended Mages, skipping the Basic Tier altogether. As for me...guess I'll have to find out...

"No, I don't. That said, I do know how to check, so...," I trailed off, as I crossed my legs and closed my eyes.

Strange...this feels so natural and familiar. I don't have the memories to back it up, but I think it's safe to say that I've done this before...

"Hey, wait, I didn't mean do it right n-...," Began Ifeus, his voice fading away as I entered my subconscious.

Was he trying to stop me? Well, he was too late. I'm in here now, so I might as well-...hm? What the...?

Something isn't right. Normally, when a Mage enters their subconscious to view their Magic System, they find themselves in front of a large display with the details of their Magic listed, while floating in what looks like a void.

I've got the display in front of me, and I am in a void, but...there's cracks all around me. As in, my surroundings look like cracked glass or something. But there's something else unsettling me...I don't know why exactly, but it feels like something's missing.

Well, whatever, let's just chalk it up to the amnesia.

For now, I'll just focus on seeing what my Class is...