Doing the Right Thing

Just as my rainbow-blue mana pulsated around my finger, the thief noticed. She started to draw her own spell on a blank magical card. The air around her thickened with the charge of magic, and I felt an intense turbulence emanating from her.

In the next moment, she unleashed her spell— a monstrous ball of wind that ripped through the air with deadly speed. My heart clenched as I realized its trajectory.

"Brace for impact!" Lucianna called, her voice ringing with urgency, but the target wasn't us. It was a half-constructed building teetering on the edge of the path. As the wind-ball smashed into it, debris began to rain down on the unsuspecting pedestrians below.

Lucianna tried to weave a protective spell, but her magic sputtered out. "I'm out of mana," she muttered, frustration evident in her voice.

"I'll handle it," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "Just keep pursuing the thief."

Before anyone could protest, I leaped from the galloping horse, sliding along the cobblestones towards the falling debris and innocent bystanders. In a swift movement, I scribbled the words 'stone' and 'pillars' onto two magical cards.

I huddled over the pedestrians, using my own body as a last-resort shield, praying that my hastily scribbled spell would work.

Then, just as the rubble threatened to crash down, towering stone pillars erupted from the ground, shielding us. They creaked under the weight, cracks spider-webbing along their surface, but they held.

"Run!" I yelled at the pedestrians, pushing them away from the danger zone. As the stone pillars began to crumble, I barely managed to roll out of the way, just as the last of the debris crashed down.

Pain exploded across my body as I opened my eyes. There were shards of debris that had punctured my skin, and I felt a dull throbbing in my chest. I tried to move, to breathe, but each attempt was met with a sharp stab of pain. The metallic tang of blood filled my mouth, a harsh reminder of the reality I was facing.

"I'm... I'm dying, aren't I?" I murmured to myself, panic setting in. My heart raced, even though the action itself caused me more pain.

A chorus of terrified voices filled the air as the pedestrians around me started to panic. "Is there anyone here who knows healing magic?" one person asked, but their query was met with silence. A few murmured words of encouragement reached my ears, urging me to stay awake.

To my surprise, Lucianna fought her way through the crowd, her face pale but determined. "You're a madman," she growled at me, kneeling by my side. "Why did you do something so reckless?"

"I want... everyone to... be happy," I wheezed out, my vision starting to blur.

"Well, you won't be around to see that if you don't stop talking!" she snapped back. "Just... just stay quiet."

Then she was chanting, her voice weaving a spell that made her whole body glow with a pure, white light. A series of intricate, glowing circles appeared over my body, filled with ancient runes that pulsated with life.

"But... the Avatar of the Dragon..." I began, trying to ask if she'd gotten it back.

Her eyes met mine, fierce and bright. "Stop talking, Max," she said. "I won't let you die."

The words hung in the air for a moment before a blinding light descended from the glowing circles. It washed over me, soothing, warm, like a gentle hand cradling me. My eyes grew heavy, and I felt my consciousness start to slip away. But for some reason, even as I succumbed to the darkness, I wasn't afraid anymore.

Lucianna's eyes blazed with a fierce determination as she chanted, every word seeming to rip a tear from her. Her tears fell freely now, glistening under the magical aura she was enveloped in. I could do nothing but watch, helpless as the one who had been my guide struggled to save me.

Suddenly, Matterinna burst through the crowd, her eyes wide with terror. It quickly morphed into rage as she took in the scene before her. For a moment, I thought she was going to lash out at Lucianna, but instead, she steeled herself and began her own incantation, a veil of pulsating purple energy wrapping around her body.

More magical circles appeared, winding their way around Lucianna. Matterinna's voice was harsh, fraught with emotion. "This should help, the Magical Runes of Amplification," she growled, each word dripping with ire.

"Can you help with the healing?" Lucianna asked Matterinna, who simply nodded.

I felt a tingle starting at my skin, slowly intensifying until it was a comforting warmth that filled my entire body. The debris embedded in my flesh started to move, as if pushed by an invisible force, and the wounds began to close on their own. I could feel my broken bones knit together, a strange but not unwelcome sensation.

After a while, I could finally open my eyes. Looking down, I found my body whole and unharmed. A rush of relief washed over me as I sat up and rushed over to Lucianna, wrapping her in a grateful hug.

"Thank you... Thank you so much," I kept repeating, my voice choked with emotion.

At first, Lucianna seemed to stiffen in my arms, as if about to push me away. But the warmth of our embrace must have gotten to her. She pulled me in tighter, shouting at me not to be so reckless again. "Who's going to bring happiness to others if you're gone, Max?" she asked, her voice breaking.

"You're right, Lucianna," I murmured, lifting my hand to wipe away her tears.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Matterinna and Illyanna rushing over, their eyes shimmering with tears of relief. They joined the hug, wrapping their arms around me in a familial embrace.

Lucianna quietly stepped back, giving us space. But I caught a glimpse of her face. It was distant, a longing glimmer in her eyes that screamed of a desire for the warmth of a family she never had.