Cinnafrost

Chapter 1

consume

Every living being is made of stardust, the ones born with more than others are able to manifest them as magick. Magick can be used as a valuable energy source and a useful way of life. What one uses it for is up to each individual.Our world is one filled with wonder, diversity, and science. We have been given a vast land filled with various biomes, flourishing nature, and immense discoverability beyond us. Despite plenty of materials, food, and other resources, the greed of mankind has led to Humans and beastkins living with their own kind in separate clusters of the land. The divide doesn’t stop there though. Many believe that The Divine blesses their chosen Spellborns with magick before they were conceived, while others believe the greater universe places their gifts at random. With magick having a tendency to favor more beastkins than humans, tension grows between the Spellborn and Terrenes, or non-magick people, through the rise of power hungry cults, delusionally corrupt government bodies, and other sinister schemes that lie behind the scenes. Without magick, life is a struggle enough as is without anyone flaunting a power you could never even dream of coming close to having.Beastmages are often gazed at with wonder and fear for their combination of natural-born beast senses and their enchanter’s strong affinity for their Magick Paths. Some see them as freaks of nature, a direct opposition of The Divine. Others view them as Divine-blessed, chosen specifically to complete a special task in life, whatever that may be for each individual. Regardless, we lived our somewhat peaceful lives with the 9 Gods and Goddess watching over us all in Astravyne. Then everything was silent.The Dark Days were relentless. Who knew a growing crack in the ground could lead to such devastation. Seemingly harmless at first, the black fog that seeped through the crevice soon engulfed people, mutated animals, and corroded buildings. It spread so slowly through the night until it came to a sudden stop at Grimteeth Ravine after 100 days. No one was prepared for the disappearance of an entire region and the extinction of the Dragonkin faction. In its place is a black fog, eerie, unsettling and unmoving. Though you can now touch and enter the fog, it is filled with demons, beasts, and other unspeakable horrors one usually hears in bedtime stories. Research has proven difficult to find any answers as few have ever returned from The Shade, and those who did were forever changed.I’ve only heard of it in passing news, but I could tell it changed our entire world as we knew it. Tragedy had marked the living and the dead of Astravyne, but many have used the 100 days of darkness as an opportunity. With nothing to rebuild and no one to save, thousands moved to and from regions, mixing races, factions and crafts, combining a once divided world. Little did we know then how much more shattered our land had become. Though some see the benefits of shared connections and supplies, others held only distrust and fear in their hearts. Was the hole in the ground the dragonkins’ doing? Was this a Spellborn’s or Enchanter's experiment gone wrong? Was this the first clear sign of the dangers of magick? Or was it all just a game of chess for The Divine who's gone silent since then?The rift between humans and beastkin, Spellborn and Terrenes grows stronger each day, with hatred and violence piling up crimes and bodies. Talks of weaponizing the Spellborn have been fairly common amidst various cities, especially due to the surges in demon-sightings around towns which has made everyone ever the more restless. Demons, hallows, and shadelings lurk in the shadows of our minds, the cracks of our nightmares. With chaos and anarchy at every corner, drugs and crime ran rampant in every region for weeks. It wasn’t until Regional Committees and High Councils were voted in that a spot of decency could be seen in public.10 years after the strange incident, life has not been easy. The steady increase in bipaths and tripaths roots a heavy concern for Terrenes. They without magick have not found a way to defend themselves should another great calamity arise. Those with access to two or more Paths are hoped to be good of heart for the sake of an uneasy yet greedy government and a fearful yet jealous society. Between the 6 Magick Paths of an enchanter, you’d be grateful enough to even be adept at one. But two? Or even three? Imagine the power. For some though, there is no need to imagine what is already a reality. Either a life of secure positions, promised riches, and absolute adoration, or a life of harsh discrimination, constant running, and regular crime. All depending on where you’re located. Whether it’s a blessing or a curse, magick is the only thing I know.Though this was the beginning of new times, it was certainly not the end of the messy old one. My first crime came with the injection of the newest illegal serum, Fade Mint. It allowed me to transform into a human form for a short period of time. The perfect duration to help me commit fraud, masked missions, and other questionable assignments tasked by my parents.Spellborns may sometimes look down on Terrenes for being without power, such is the case for my family. And since most humans are born Terrenes, my family thought it was only right that we take our rightful place above them to guide us all into a brighter future. We were touched by Gaia’s Blessing for a reason, a higher calling: to punish the humans who wanted to tilt the balance of the universe via The Shade. That’s why I was made. Generationally wealthy and fairly well known, the House of Evernight is a clan of beastmages who specialize in dark water magick, which can be used as ice magick with advanced techniques. As a tripath, fire is in my mix which my family has kept a guarded secret from society.Right after the Dark Days died out, my parents used their connections to illegally blood test for my future Divinity Ranking. I’m told children under the age of 16 are to wait to see what Magick Paths reside within them but the sudden catastrophe has pushed my parents to take extra measures and expedite all processes for me to become a full-fledged enchanter, or foxmage. Darkness, water and fire. From then on, they trained me as a tripath in secret. Such strong ties to magick at such a young age would only alarm the public when the concept of having more than 1 Magick Path is still so new. This made me both an unpredictable threat to the world and a useful weapon for my clan. Praise The Divine, 2 years later, my family was blessed with a perfect daughter. Moldable yet manipulative, Azurain Evernight was adept in dark water magick and ideal as the true head of the clan.I was more a secret weapon, the face of the throne but a key asset for various side jobs. They kept me in the dark most of the time, only bringing me forth into society whenever they needed to parade around the recent achievements of their daughters. It was hard to keep up with regular schoolwork, social gatherings, and combat training, especially when we kept moving cities. Honeydew Pines, Forest Tail Valley and finally the capital of Lavenwood, city of Oceansong. Between the constant move and my scattered missions, it felt like I was traveling the world but never really free. My name, power and existence are all bound to the House of Evernight. There was never a moment’s rest. My bar has always been so much higher than any other around me, and I had no one to share the burden or stories with. Pretty soon, I forgot how a normal person of my age was meant to act. Those who didn’t already outcast me, I couldn’t get close to. The further up the social ladder my family got, the further away from sanity I felt. One day, I realized I had completely abandoned all emotion, locked them away in the box of my mind. It was for the best. I knew what I stood for.Time and time again, my parents have entrusted me with the truth of the world: humans are corrupt, we as foxmages need to take action. Those who started the Dark Days are the ones with technology, magick, and control of over half the world. Danger is around us and no one is to be trusted, but one day, we’ll expose their lies and free the world. If anything, we the Spellborn deserve it all. With a goal like worldwide recognition, political strength, and mountains of riches, my clan needed a reliable set of hands to pave their golden road for them. They had combat maids, assassin butlers, and other skilled staff members, but my tripaths have gotten every job done under every circumstance. Over the years, this included stolen files, bribery, illegal trades,arson, kidnappings, assassinations and more. I used to be obsessed with pleasing others, but after a while, you just lose track of the number of awards, the number of bodies. But that night at The Dimensional Library was one to remember.I turned 16 and it was time for my legal Divinity Ranking test. As usual, my family used connections to test me at home instead of at the academy. An equally strong ratio of the same three paths. We were in the right direction, though I’m not sure I can see a direction anymore. All I know is to continue towards the mission point, and the night’s destination was The Dimensional Library at the capital city of Windkeep Haven. Celebrations for my coming of age were swift. It ended with a lecture on responsibilities and the newest mission briefing. Before I left the facade of a party, my cousin came up to me. The only person I liked in my clan was going off to pursue their dreams of becoming a healer. I smiled at her as she presented me with her farewell and birthday gift: an extendable giant axe. Though she knew nothing of my undercover missions, she insisted on getting me a weapon to defend myself with once I left for academy.Cinna: “Was this size really necessary?”Naevys: “That’s why it’s extendable! It’s the perfect portable panic button!”Cinna: “A sharp pocket knife would have sufficed.”Naevys: “Yeah but no one would pick on a cute little foxkin with a massive weapon of destruction like this one. Brandish this new power and you’d be safe no matter where you go!”Cinna: “...Thanks, Naevys.”I waved goodbye at the door and that was the last time I saw her. I tucked the axe into the pocket of my garter utility belt and prepared for departure. Later that night, we used an illegal teleportation crystal to get me into the government sector of the building. For the largest library in Astravyne, they had pretty lax security systems. That or my training has paid off. Were they not expecting enemies after everything the humans have done?Straight in and straight out, that was the plan. Except tonight’s moon glowed differently, it felt like it was directing me towards something hidden. I followed the gaze of the skies and my eyes landed on a dusty leather book on the shelf. I had everything I needed for this mission though, it was time to go. I shook my head as I realized my arm was outstretched towards the book. As I pulled away, the book rattled loudly and launched itself at me. The impact nearly toppled me onto the ground. Slight rustles of the documents and I’ve already made too much noise. I quickly slip through the darkness back through the teleportation crystal.I opened my eyes to the light of the fire in our living room. Instantly, I felt like something was off. It wasn’t that it was deathly silent in the house. No, that was normal, especially at this hour after a mission. I couldn’t quite place my finger on it, so I kept my guard up despite being inside the mansion. I made my way towards the main office upstairs to submit my report and papers to the clan leaders. With the door slightly ajar, I could hear my parents talking inside. Nothing seems off so fa–Mother: “Blow up the whole damn thing, I don’t care.”Father: “We need to take precautions first or we’d be the number one suspect.”Mother: “With our achievements and preparations, they’ll practically be begging for us to rule their incompetent little capital for them.”Father: “Yes, yes, I know we’ve waited for those High Council Chairs for so long. We can have it all, a life of luxury, human servants, black market technology, whatever you want.”Mother: “And the girl? She’d be ready?”Father: “You mean our daughter?”Mother: “Our prized possession, our secret weapon, our whatever, jesus fuck yes.”Father: “She’s a trained pup on a leash. Say the word and she’ll do it.”Mother: “So that’s a murder list of 100 people, humans and beastkins.”Father: “She’ll survive, she’s one monster of a tripath.”Mother: “Plus it’s not like she hasn’t killed dozens before. All because of a bedtime story.”Father: “The lie was a necessary part of her training. Anyways, she should be back soon with the documents.”Mother: “Good, we’ll step up the training too if you’re so worried about that failure.”Father: “She can’t fail. With what distractions? We made sure all she has is us. She’s out there committing another crime for us right now.”Mother: “Go grab more wine, the Scarlet Lady one. You know I love a good massacre plan.”Father: “As long as the blood’s not on our hands~”I clasped my hand over my gaping mouth, careful not to sob or scream or breathe. For the first time since my early days of childhood, I felt a wave of fear and nausea consuming me. I crouched by the door and stuffed the leather book into my garter utility belt pocket, recasting a simple size-reduction magick spell on it. What were they going to do with me if they found me here? Did they think I was going to be onboard forever, a thoughtless puppet? I wasn’t sticking around to find out, I silently dashed down the hallway towards the stairs. Maybe I could pretend I just made it back. But what do I even do with this new revelation? That my entire life is a lie and I’m just some monster painting cities different shades of red?At the bottom of the stairs were four security guards, standing in a line blocking my way. My heart stopped.Father: “Cinna, hey, what took you so long?”Cinna: “I must’ve mistaken our meeting point, sorry. I was waiting downstairs.”Father: “Oh? How rare.”Cinna: “I apologize, I might be tired… Not used to using teleportation crystals…”Father: “That’s fine. Why don’t you come back into the office? Did you bring us any Scarlet Lady from downstairs?”My eyes slowly met his. The endless void in his pupils gave away his fake gentle smile. Shit, he knew.I whipped around, made my way up the maze of our mansion, and ran all the way up onto the rooftop. I passed through mother’s garden and climbed down the long ivy stems. At the bottom, a group of combat maids were ready with whips, electric nets, and other familiar tools my body was not looking forward to experiencing again. I swung full force over them and rolled into a sprint past the gates and into the city. Without looking over my shoulder, I could hear the numerous footsteps. They sent multiple teams of guards after me, some of them I’ve worked with for the majority of my life. Blocked exits, vehicle barricades, magick traps, I dodged them all and managed to escape all the way to the lighthouse at the edge of town.I ran to the docks to find that there were no boats in the water. They were usually chained or anchored down. I looked around frantically, more guards zoomed across the streets and waters, pulling up at top speed surrounding me. At the corner of my eye was my last light of hope. I dashed towards the lighthouse, ripped the door off its hinges, and scrambled up the flights of stairs. At the top, strong gusts of wind greeted me, cold and salty, and I took a deep breath. When was I last able to really breathe? Was I ever able to here?

The entrance latch clangs open, letting out my father and two bodyguards. I stumble towards the railings, grabbing onto them.Father: “Could we stop playing hide and seek? You’re way too old for this, you really need to act your age.”I said nothing and stared at him silently. What do I even say at this point?Father: “Come on. Let’s get out of here. You’re out of options, child. Where could you possibly go from here?”I looked around, my eyes stopping at the third city I was supposed to call home.Father: “We provided you with everything. Water, food, clothes, education, a roof above your head. You repay us with selfish, rude, ungratefulness? We will not stand for this kind of attitude.”I continued to stare into the distance until my father stepped in, blocking my view.Father: “You know what happens to insolent little foxkins. You can’t be that stupid. Did we really waste all that money, time, and training on you? For nothing?”He took a step towards me and I glared at him.Cinna: “I have done everything for you my entire life.”Father: “As you should! That’s the least you could do after everything we’ve had to sacrifice for you.”Cinna: “Like what? The only sacrifice you’ve ever made was me! All the towns I’ve burned down, the people I’ve killed, the lives I’ve destroyed, all because you two were greedy for more money, more power? Do you know what all those crimes do to a person?”Father: “You’ll never understand the decisions we’ve made, the sacrifices we will have to make. This is for all our futures!”Father: “I thought you understood our purpose, aligned with our goals.”He took two more steps forward, waving his wild hand gestures and clenching his teeth. I flung myself over the railing so that I’m further away from him.Cinna: “Because you’d torture me whenever I didn’t do everything you’ve asked to perfection! You’d think you’d be able to trust your own parents if anyone.”Father: “Why don’t we continue this inside?”His hands were up in surrender and the bodyguards watched intently.Cinna: “Or what? You’ll lose your secret weapon, your life’s investment, your obedient pup on a leash?”His mouth turned into a straight thin line. He couldn’t even shake his head. I smiled, “No thanks.”I kicked myself off the platform and jumped towards the freezing dark waters 100 feet below me. The last thing I remembered was the chilling ocean blanketing over me like an embrace, lulling me into a deep, deep sleep. When I came to, I tasted blood but smelled flowers. Confused, I peeled my eyes open to see a stranger hunched over me, their mouth on mine. In a panic, I grabbed the nape of their neck, twisted their arm around and kneeled on their back.Cinna: “Who are you and what have you done to me?”???: “Ow, ow, that hurts!”Cinna: “And it’s going to hurt a lot more if you don’t answer me.”Alanis: “I’m Alanis Keyzana, a healer just trying to freakin’ heal you, now let go!”Cinna: “Not done yet. Why did you try to poison me and why are you lying?”Alanis: “Wha-? Poison you? No, I literally just found you out here, wet and cold and dying!”Cinna: “Where is here?”Alanis: “Port Stonefang!”Cinna: “That’s impossible. I was just in Lavenwood in the middle of…”I trailed off as my head started pulsing from the painful flashbacks of my near death experience.Alanis: “Well, not anymore. Welcome to the other side of the world.”I finally looked up and loosen my grip on her arm. The sign reads the truth she tells. I’m in human territory now.

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