Cold night air stung Sirius's lungs like daggers, but he couldn't afford to stop running through the forest.

  Fire was spreading behind him, hot wind scorching his green robe. Like a wild animal running for its life, Sirius sprinted away, dodging tree after tree, stumbling on roots, loud heartbeat drowning the sounds of the crackling wood. Once again the boy turned back, his golden eyes catching a glint of the blaze. Master Verden said he will join him after he deals with a problem. He was a powerful mage, so it shouldn't take too long.

  Sirius felt a strong pull of mana in the air, as if a lake was being sucked into the ground. His soul was dragged along with the forceful movement of energy, and he fell to his knees, feeling the insides being torn away from his body. Sirius clutched his heart in a desperate attempt to stay alive, while the flood of mana was rushing towards his old home.

  Then came the flash.

  The bright purple and green light illuminated his back and burned the exposed skin with its unbearable radiance. Then came the shockwave. It forcefully pushed Sirius forward, throwing him away from the epicentre. Sirius tumbled, only stopping when his back hit the fallen tree, almost getting him impaled on a broken branch. He lay on the ground in shock for some time in silence, until he found the strength to open his eyes and look at what happened to his home.

  The darkness was the first what he saw. The fire was blown away by a blast, extinguished into nothingness. Then his eyes adjusted. Trees were fallen and charred, dry autumn grass flickering with remnants of fire all around him. Embers were lifting into the sky, drawing the outline of enormous tree that appeared in place of his home, menacingly hanging above, hiding the night sky behind its wide canopy.

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  "Uncle..." Sirius weakly called out.

  Not a sound.

  "Master Verden! Where are you," he cried into the darkness in desperation.

  He went towards the home, constantly calling out his uncle, but alas, his voice was the only human sound in the night. He tried coming closer, climbing over fallen trunks, only tearing up his robe in the process. The fallen forest was too dense, and trees scratched his hands and face, covering the skin in blood streams. After an excruciatingly long time, he fell to the ground without strength. His throat gave up, reducing his pleas to a whisper, and hands were a bloody mess. He couldn’t continue that way.

  Tears began swelling in his eyes, blurring his vision. His head rung like a bell, each heartbeat sending painful pangs all across his body. Sirius tried to calm down, but nothing went his way. He turned over and kneeled on all fours, breathing heavily and crying. Dull pain, rage, hatred, sorrow... Every feeling mixed inside him, and he screamed. The surrounding air exploded with coldness, the ice needles forming on dead leaves underneath. He strained his damaged throat, but he didn’t care. At least he was a bit more focused... He had to find help in the Rivervale, and he knew who to ask.

  The cold air shimmered, and a pearly coloured serpentine head appeared besides his face from nowhere. Sensing the boy's distress, it licked his chin. Thin tongue smeared blood and tears that covered his face. Sirius blankly stared at the animal and pushed out a weak smile. At least his friend survived the aftermath.

  "Seth... I am glad you are here... We need to go..." Sirius said, his voice was a shivering whisper. He stood up, pulling a hood over his golden hair, and weakly stumbled towards the village. The long walk awaited him.