The Cost of Power

Nestled deep within the forests of Levanrya, far away from the prying eyes of the capitol of Azura and high in the Silver Mountains, lay the Tower of Levanter. This was the place where all of the high lords of each main city met to discuss issues that have arisen and how to deal with them. Having changed over from a monarchy two centuries before, they took pride in holding all of the power for the country, and more often than not, they were loved for it by the people of the land, as they made everything good for everyone and ruled fairly. This required all magical power and objects to be documented and watched closely by the Tower, lest anyone fell into a dangerous situation with their magic. It was a good safety measure, and all of the people of Azura knew that they were safe, and so was their precious magic.

This particularly cold morning, however, something felt amiss. High Lord Minjun could feel it in his bones and in the magic all around him. It was as if a dark cloud had settled and he shivered as an icy chill ran down his spine. The balance of magic was off and he could feel the power building, though, despite his power as a mage, he couldn't pinpoint exactly where this magic was coming from. All he knew was that the balance was off and there was dark magic being used somewhere out in the land. The old mage turned toward the door when he heard it begin to open, smiling when he saw that it was one of his favorite nephews, Yugyeom, who was a scholar in the arts of magic and learning very quickly.

Yugyeom smiled at his uncle, his face lighting up as he looked down at the small box he held in his hands. "We finally found it, Uncle. It took the lives of two of my men to obtain it, with how strong the power was," he frowned then, regret flashing across his handsome face. "The Eternity Sphere is safe and in our hands now. I guess we can do what needs to be done with it," he added, smiling with uncertainty. "I'm not sure exactly what that would involved. It's here, none the less."

Minjun stared at the unopened box, unwilling to take it himself. "Thank you very much. I'm aware of what you went through to obtain it. If you'll open it for me, that would be appreciated. That way, it will stay in the same hands that carried it into the Tower," he smiled at Yugyeom, his eyes flicking only briefly away from the box to his nephew's face.

Swallowing hard, Yugyeom began to open the box carefully, lifting the lid of the iron away from his own face to reveal the shiny red stone that was tightly packed into the crevices of the cloth it currently lay on. Minjun blinked twice,his heart racing as he stared at the rare sphere. It held more power than all of the mages in the Tower, and he knew that this power would be a huge asset to the country. There was just one more thing he needed to test with it before he touched it himself. Turning away from the stone and back to his nephew, he smiled at him. "If you could take it out and put it in your bare hands, that would be appreciated. That way, it doesn't leave the hands that brought it here...and I know you are strong enough in your magic to handle it."

Yugyeom felt a warning go off in his head at the suggestion, knowing that it wouldn't be a good idea to touch it. However, more importantly, he could not go against his uncle's wishes and whatever he wanted for their country. The Eternity Sphere did not belong to him, after all, but to magic itself. Only magic had a saw in what happened with it. With his hands shaking, he lifted the precious sphere out of the box and held it out to his uncle with a smile. Being a learning mage himself, he could feel the power radiating from the stone, seeping down into his bones. He could also feel a pulse coming from the stone, feeling as if it was alive on its own. Breathing heavily, he stared at his uncle's face, expecting the powerful mage to take the stone from him. Instead, his uncle backed away from the pulsing power he could feel, knowing that something was building inslde of it, but unwilling to be subjected to it.

"It must be given..." he began to speak with conviction, but was knocked down to the ground with the sheer power that suddenly lashed out when the Eternity Sphere cracked open sending a strong, sharp wave of power across the room. Yugyeom, who had been holding the Sphere, didn't have even a second to react as the stone turned his hands black and the young man was ripped into pieces with the sheer force of the blast. The Eternity Sphere stood suspened in the air on its own, spinning in the sheer power within it, breaking apart of the rest of the way and disappearing into the atmosphere. It left no witnesses, as high mage Minjun lay unconscious and his nephew dead with his sacrifice. It was finally free to find its true purpose, the eight pieces splitting off to find their destined wielders.

********

"It is time, as the Eternity Sphere has split," a figure in a black and red hooded cloak to its subject. "Go find the orb, in whatever form it has deemed worthy. Do not fail me. The collection of the stone is of most importance."

"Yes, my leige. You will have it under your command as soon as possible," the young man in the solid grey tunic stood to his full height, bowing before leaving the room. He would do whatever it took to obtain the Eternity Sphere, even if it happened to cost him his life.

********

Mage Minjun awoke to find the body of Yugyeom still lying on the ground where he had fallen, mangled, but still recognizable. Standing up carefully, he walked over to the innocent young man's body, inspecting it carefully. He knew he couldn't let the other members of the Council know what had truly happened here, as it would cause him to go under magical investigation. As it stood now, they would believe anything he told them about the incident. Calling in his most trusted associate, he tried his best to look shocked at the death of his favorite nephew.

"You called for m..." Wooyoung's voice failed him when he saw the obviously deceased Yugyeom lying on the floor. "What happened? Are you okay?" He glanced at Minjun before walking over to the body and inspecting without touching it.

Minjun nodded, allowing a few tears to escape down his cheeks. He had meant for it to all be a ruse, but now he realized that he was truly upset about the incident. Yugyeom had been his favorite nephew, and truly innocent and helpful, at that. He could feel anger rising inside of him now, all resolve to cover this up and make it look like an accident vanished with Yugyeom's soul, "He brought me to Eternity Sphere, and the damn thing exploded in his hands. I know what happens when it gets loose, so find the individuals it will choose as the wielders of whatever for it takes. His death will not be in vain."

"Well...fuck," Wooyoung shook his head, pursing his lips. "I'm sorry that it killed him, since he was a good kid. How will you make them pay? They will be held responsible for sure...by law."

Minjun shook his head, anger beginning to consume him. "I don't know yet, but find them. They will need to be turned in, regardless of if they are guilty or not. Someone will pay for this."

Wooyoung nooded, grabbing a nearby blanket and placing it over the deceased boy. "I will send someone to find them, no matter what it takes."