MAGE CHRONICLES: The Beginning.

Thirty minutes after the seemingly endless flow of mages settles in around their designated seats, the event starts.

I would like to claim that I was somewhat prepared for everything, but the rug was pulled from underneath my feet... again.

There were seven other aspiring ladies bar me, including a familiar face I was having a hard time placing.

The MC, called everyone onto the stage one by one, each time giving well-detailed personal histories and heaps upon heaps of praises.

If I was really into this competition, it would have been very disheartening, to hear him waxing poetry about my competition. They were all a bunch of high achievers, which made me wonder what exactly he was going to say about me.

“And our final mate runner, Mahina Dracon, an exquisite girl if I could say so. A nice child-bearing figure, an accomplished master in arts and a pure, benevolent soul.”

I was seething in my seat. Nice childbearing figure? What was this? A slave auction? I would show them a benevolent soul.

“Where is she from?” comes from the crowd making me pause my murderous thoughts and turn curiously to the stage along with everyone else. Please slave trader, tell all of us. Where was I from?

“Mahina is originally from here, having grown up in the palace alongside the royal family before her parents fully moved to earth.”

What the what?

I turn to see if anyone else was buying the bunch of hogwash spewing from the stage, only to find half the girls glaring at me, the closest one to me not even bothering to hide her sneer.

“You got something to say?” I ask steeling my back and giving her my best glare.

Huffing she turns back to the front her posture turning haughty.

Bitch.

I am on autopilot for the rest of the event, just following whatever the rest do which is not much. Turns out, the opening ceremony was just us being paraded around like prized cattle so that the masses could pick a favourite.

My mind drifts to Nyx, was he still hurt? Was he coming back? Was he Okay? I missed him, he had helped keep thoughts of Thorne Academy and most importantly Knox away.

How was my little boy? It’s not the first time I had to leave him alone; we had toured a lot in the past year. But it was the first time in an unknown place, Nona Ellie being there was the only thing keeping me semi-sane.

A prickling at the back of my neck has me looking around to find the culprit only to lock eyes with Darian.

I wished his stare was creepy so I knew where to stand with him but instead, it was more inquisitive and baffled. Like he couldn’t figure out why I was there, which was weird since he had me brought here in the first place... if the royal assholes were to be believed.

Speaking of... I search around the crowded room for the gorgeous triplets. They really were beautiful creatures. Just because I didn’t like them didn’t mean I was blind. I spot Cain first; he was standing with one of the other candidates looking cosy.

As if he could feel my eyes on him, he turns, and I watch fascinated as his face transforms into a scowl. I think he could have twisted it further if it had been physically possible.

Chuckling I look for his brothers and find them standing on one side of the room, a clear boundary between them and the rest of the crowd, whether instinctive or demanded, I had no idea, though I was leaning towards the former.

Ryder and Eislyn were with them along with the guy from the first day, Brae...something like that. And all their gazes were fixed on me.

I take a moment trying to figure out what they were studying so intently. Did I have something on my face? Had I suddenly sprouted wings? Was I glowing? What’s with the looks?

I raise an eyebrow in question and Dain smirks, turning to his brother to whisper something, Jain replies face stoic, and the humour dissolves from Dain’s face.

Well fuck this, I wasn’t getting a migraine thinking about things I couldn’t control.

Mind made up I turn my sole focus on the doors that would lead me out of the cursed place. I had survived far longer than I thought I would.

I set off weaving in between bodies until I finally get to the door. I ignore the scowling guard and just as I’m about to escape, a voice comes from behind me.

“First, I thought you had some secret affair with one of the Princes, so this was punishment, but the king seems a little too obsessed with you to be a game. Then the vague details about your past and the fact that despite the heavy cloaking I can still smell the human in you... Something is not right... So, who exactly are you little girl?”

I had turned in the middle of the spiel trying to figure out if it had been addressed it to me; it was. Now outside, I study the fine male specimen that had followed me outside fighting to gather my thoughts and process what he had just spewed. My brain insisted on focusing on the man instead.

Not that I could be blamed, he was absolutely breath-taking. Tall, lean but you could still tell that he was muscular, with aquamarine eyes that seemed to glow as he stared into my soul and hair so black it almost seemed blue tied back into a severe ponytail.

He was dressed like some deity; flowy robes, loose drawstring pants that were somehow hypnotic since I had trouble tearing my eyes away from them, and subtle but enthralling jewellery. The pouty lips I hadn’t realised I was still staring at spread to reveal the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, even his teeth were shiny and perfect... Holy cow! Was that a fang?

My eyes fly back to his in surprise only to see the beautiful aquamarine glow golden before reverting back.

“What...” I stutter brain still catching up.

“That was a flattering description, thank you.”

Woah! Even his voice was a masterpiece. Who was he?

The resplendent smile spreads.

Wait, a damn minute... “Can you read my thoughts?” I ask horrified.

“Usually, he replies, “But you are also practically yelling in my head.”

I start singing the first song that comes to my head, Idol... by BTS of course. Don’t judge me, it was a reflex.

“Talented boys, I love their music,”

I glitch; my jaw distends and I’m pretty sure my eyes almost popped out.

“Dramatic, aren’t we?” he murmurs bending so he could be eye level with me and my knees almost give out.

Sputtering I try to form the words but end up thinking them instead.

You know BTS?

“Maybe,” he whispers moving closer as he finally straightens.

There’s only a couple of inches separating us and I ignore the heat emanating from him as I twist my head all the way back to look at him. I had never felt so short in my life.

“I’ll repeat myself since you’re having trouble focusing,” At that I close my eyes fighting embarrassment, “And why do you smell...”

A blast of wind hit my upturned face and I realise the man just vanished, a second later the door bursts open Ryder and Eislyn rush out.

Ignoring them, I turn to scan the garden, “Smell? Smell what? You can’t leave a girl hanging like that sir!”

“Who are you talking to?” Eislyn asks looking around too.

“The beautiful man who just followed me outside, you know tall, hair darker than night?”

Their twin baffled looks confuse me.

“Who?” Ryder asks.

“He was here just now.”

“Mahina... you walked out alone, the guards at the door called us because they said you seemed confused because you were standing outside alone talking to yourself.”

“I thought you’d finally had it, and your brain had checked out. That’s why we came rushing out, you know...before anything happens,” Ryder finishes with a telling look.

I scowl, that was one time, you jerk!