Shadows of a second life

The morning sun filtered through the open windows of the Voss household as Elias helped Maria with the laundry. At seven years old, his small hands were still clumsy with the heavy wet fabric, but he worked diligently, wringing out shirts and trousers before hanging them on the lines strung between the house and the storage shed. Maria hummed an old tune while scrubbing a particularly stubborn stain, occasionally glancing at him with quiet approval.

“You’ve grown more helpful lately,” she remarked, passing him another soaked tunic. “Not like the boy who used to hide in the garden with his nose in books all day.”

Elias offered a small smile, though his mind was already drifting toward the day’s training. “I want to be useful.” And strong. Strong enough that no one leaves again.

Once the laundry was done, he slipped away with a quick goodbye to his mothers and headed out. Advanced magic was far too dangerous to practice near the house or village. He made his way to a secluded rocky outcrop beyond the farmlands, deep enough into the wilds that any mishap wouldn’t threaten anyone.

"That was quite a walk, this should be far enough to try it out without causing mass destruction".

He planted his feet firmly and raised his hand.

“Inferno.”

The spell manifested with terrifying speed. A massive torrent of flames erupted from his palm, spreading outward in a wide, roaring arc. The advanced magic summoned searing heat capable of burning through skin, armor, and bone alike and can't be evaded by just sidestepping Trees in a broad radius ignited instantly, engulfed in a blinding inferno. The forest behind the village portion he targeted became a blazing hellscape — trunks blackened and crumbled, leaves vaporized in bursts of green fire. Thick black smoke rose into the sky as the flames consumed everything in their path.

Elias watched with a mix of satisfaction and unease. "This is good, very good But it still wasn’t enough. "I want more. Something new. Something mine"

He closed his eyes and focused on a different concept. Water was the base. What if I slowed the molecules dramatically? Drew the heat away instead of adding it?

He visualized frost forming, then pushed harder — ice.

To his surprise, it worked.

A wave of frigid energy burst from his outstretched hand. Water vapor in the air crystallized instantly. A section of the scorched ground ahead froze solid, jagged spikes of ice erupting upward like crystalline spears. He tried casting ice directly — no water intermediary — and succeeded again. Sharp shards of ice materialized and launched forward, embedding into a boulder with audible cracks.

Elias stared at his hands, breathing heavily.

If magic is truly about visualization… then there’s no need for complex scientific understanding. Any mage who knows fire can make it hotter. But…

His mind raced with the implications. From his research and experiments, a hypothesis formed: "when you simply will a spell into existence through pure visualization, it costs significantly more mana. But when you truly understand the underlying principles — the relationship between water and ice, heat and cold — you could cast far more powerful versions with much less mana. A natural give-and-take, like a universal pact or a binding vow from a certain anime I watched back on earth, what was the name again,no it doesn't matter."

"Then If that’s true, then chantless divine magic might actually be possible. Understanding the flow of life energy rather than just reciting words…"

He shook his head quickly. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Elias. Master what you have first.

He sat down on a flat rock and pulled out the thick handwritten book Selene had given him. The basics of divine magic — healing and detoxification. He began cramming the incantations, repeating the ancient, mysterious words under his breath.

For basic healing:

“Elyndra Solari, veyra tharion, renovaris corpus lumen.

"These words , can I ever memorize them"

For detoxification:

“Kaelithar Vexara, purganis venenum, expulsera malum sanguinis et animae.”

He repeated them again and again, struggling with the precise pronunciation and rhythm. The ancient tongue felt heavy on his tongue, carrying a weight that simple visualization never did. Each repetition brought him closer to understanding the intent behind the words — the flow of restorative energy, the purging of corruption.

"Selene… Liora… I’ll make good use of this. I won’t waste what you gave me."

As the sun climbed higher, Elias continued practicing the incantations between spells, the forest still smoldering in the distance. Progress was slow, but steady.

"At least no one would look down on me again."

Just then Elias stomach rumbled and he remembered,He hadn't eaten anything yet today and it was noon already.

"Shit how could I forget, mum's gonna be really mad at me, let's hope they don't disown me,crap what am I even saying."