The Magical Awakening

Back in the underground room Ares lay on the floor of the room his eyes flickering behind his eyelids. Inside his body a metamorphosis was taking place, a white glow emitted from his blood as it travelled through his body. As time continued Ares physique continued to change, muscle fibres tightened and strengthened throughout his body, his organs too become stronger and his heart pumped with a newfound vigour.

After an unknown amount of time Ares regained consciousness; his insides continued to change only now he could feel them as they occurred. If not for the paralysis that he was stricken by the indescribable agony would have caused him to scream. Beads of red sweat rolled down his forehead as the process continued.

Time continued to pass until the pain finally began to dull. Ares became aware his body was functioning again, he could move. The pain eventually receded and he gained control of his body.

Ares stood up slowly. His body felt different and there was an inexplicable change to the glint in his dark eyes.

Inspecting his body, he looked at his palm. Unexpectedly there was no hole, instead a strange white lined circle was faintly visible on his palm. Other than the white circle on his palm his exterior appearance appeared the same.

Ares glanced once more around the room. At some point a swirling portal had opened on the wall in front of him. It was similar in appearance to a body of water in a circular shape. Having seen portals before he knew what it was and that it would take him away from his confinement. While he didn't know the exit location of the portal any place seemed better to this hell. Ares made his way to the portal and quickly jumped in.

The world swirled and twisted. Ares's sight went black as he fell in an endless spiral. There was a gale and he was thrown violently forward, his head collided with a solid wall and made a huge bang. A thin trail of blood dripped from a rapidly growing bump on his forehead. Where was he? Where had the portal brought him? Looking around in a muddle he could see he was back in a mineshaft, torches lined the walls nearby.

He recognized this tunnel! It was a side tunnel from where he worked under Grant. In the distance the sound of picks hitting stone resounded. Ares crept towards the sound careful to conceal himself against the walls.

A group of miners were at work. Ares could vaguely make them out from his position; this was his crew, he had worked with them for two years and could recognize them easily. Ares could hear them muttering.

"I wonder if Grant took that little Ares to the tunnel, poor little thing." A grisly old man commented his eyes flickering towards the dark path to Tunnel 8.

"He was a good lad, shame that Grant took issue with him." Another man commented in reply.

Ares was confused; why were they discussing him? He had been gone for several hours and it seemed like these men had only just realised he was missing. What a joke he thought, he was sent to his death and no-one even cared.

On the wall of the tunnel was an aged clock, it displayed the time on its face and the date in small letters in its middle. Despite its distance Ares could make it out. He read it twice before realising what it said. According to the clock only ten minutes had passed since he had left with Grant. Not days, not even hours barely ten minutes had gone by. This was impossible.

Ares knew he needed to get out of the mine and quickly. Whatever magic had occurred had given him an opportunity to escape Grant.

Unfortunately, Ares had reappeared in an awkward position. If he wished to exit the mine he would have to walk past the other miners. If he tried to leave past them the group would likely stop him. Leaving your shift early and deserting your post had a punishment of whipping. This left Ares with a conundrum.

Trying to make sense of the situation Ares began to doubt his own memory. Perhaps it had been a hallucination and Grant had only beaten him unconscious? In his state of confusion Ares did not know what to do, he was after all only a thirteen-year-old child. In this panicked state he made a slapdash decision and began to walk back to his work station; if he pretended nothing had happened perhaps he might get away with it. The cut on his head would help his story he thought.

As Ares walked out the side tunnel a few miners seemed stunned, the elderly miner in particular held suspicion in his gaze as he gave Ares a once over. These men were not inquisitive by nature though, after a quick glance they got back to their task.

Ares walked past them and found his way to where he was working, he picked up the pick and began to swing. Funny, the pick felt a little lighter than last time he had held it. Not a great deal lighter but enough to notice.

Ares continued his work. In his head he ran over the strange events again and again in his mind. What had happened, had he imagined it?

Another twenty or so minutes passed and there was a loud stomping noise coming into the tunnel. Grant lumbered into view his small piggy eyes glancing at the miners uninterestedly. He made it almost all the way through the tunnel before catching sight of Ares.

It was clear this was a shock to Grant as he paused for several seconds continually examining Ares and deciding if he was real. Gary and Olly by his sides were equally stunned; they continually looked at each other as if to check what they saw was really there.

Ares knew this could be the most dangerous moment, if Grant tried to kill him again he would likely be unable to stop it.

"How did you get here?" Grant muttered once more pointing his podgy finger at Ares.

Ares put down his pick slowly at began to rub his head. The thin line of blood from colliding with the wall was still present on his face.

"Sorry Mr. Grant, I woke up a few minutes ago down a side tunnel. I think someone hit my head; but I can't remember what happened." He lied seamlessly his face showing a dumb perplexed expression.

Grant wasn't a clever man. But even if he did believe Ares, he was still fearful that what had happened would get out. Grant didn't have a high standing in the mine, mindless killing would be heavily punished with even a death sentence not unlikely.

Grants hand lashed forward gripping Ares by his neck and knocking his body against the wall. Ares exhaled quickly being winded by the impact against the wall.

Other miners turned to look at the commotion. They would not pry if the bullying took place away from their view. Even disappearances would not be investigated; they would however not sit by and watch murder in front of them.

Feeling the gaze of the nineteen men Grant paled slightly.

He pulled Ares close and whispered gently in his ear.

"Poppet, you should stay silent if you know what's good for you."

Grant then jolted his arm; pushing Ares against the wall once more and letting go. He turned and glanced at the rest of the group.

"Get back to work you dogs!" He then strode off situating himself in the middle of the group. Ares let out a sigh of relief before picking his pick up and once more continuing to work.

The rest of the day was long and tiring but finally over after a gruelling fourteen hours the day was over. The highlight of Ares's shift was when he saw Grant scolded by the management; it was nice to see him squirm in the face of someone with more authority than him for once. The only downside was while watching Ares had been smirking to himself, Grant had perchance glanced over and glowered at Ares; his eyes promised punishment.

After making his way though the mine Ares found himself at the exit tunnel. The journey to the surface was taken in a wooden cage. The poorly built cage looked no better than a few fences strapped together. Once this cage had literally disintegrated during the journey to the surface. Three men had fallen down the central shaft to their deaths. No-one in management cared enough to build a better cage, instead rebuilding what had failed once before. Ares tried not to think about the dark past of the cage as he stepped aboard and waited for the flimsy cage to carry him up and away from the underground hell.

There was a loud clunk as the cage settled on the top tier of the mining platform. Ares had spent the journey absorbed in his thoughts of the strange events underground.