My world was galaxies and nebulas, thousands of stars were floating around me.

Who or where was I? I didn't care, I just let a thread of consciousness take me to where my subconscious wanted to go.

My 13-year-old self entered a huge chamber, crowned by a glass dome. The dim light of the sky passed through it, illuminating the twelve grand pillars that supported it. The floor between them were made of marble, decorated with runes and arcane symbols.It looked familiar. Reminded me of the planets orbiting the sun, perhaps.

This was the Main Hall of an Arcanum, one of the regional headquarters of the International Magic Organization.

Unlike in my childhood, when I used to spend my time playing in the hallways of this fortress, a more serious matter awaited me now.

"Come, Lume It is almost your turn."

Lume di Strago was my name, and the man who called me was my father, Amakiir di Strago.

He was a jovial magician of 33 years, his brown hair was much lighter than mine, and his golden eyes beamed at me with pride. We had waited for this day for a long time, practically since the day I was born.

"Remember; the Sorcery Council knows you're capable of doing magic, otherwise you wouldn't be here. The initiation test is just a tradition, so it's not necessary to try too hard."

"I don't want to just prove myself, I want to impress them!" I said. "To show them that I'm well above an apprentice, just as Mom did."

"I know you're capable of much more... The power you inherited from her makes you very special, even more than any other magician here... But the council isn't ready to know it, so do not conjure your Astras.”

Astras are powerful divine objects made of mental energy and forged in legends, used by heroes and recreated by magicians. Extremely difficult to invoke for newbies.

"But I want to conjure Surt's sword of fire! Zeus' Divine Shield! Or Karna's Impenetrable Armour!"

My father smiled and replied with indulgence.

"You haven't mastered any of those Astras." He laid his hands on my shoulders, trying to calm me down. "You should conjure something simple; like a cube or a sphere made of energy. We just want them to accept you as a recruit in the Knight's Order.

"That's so boring! Why do I have to appear to be mediocre?" I cried.

"There will be time to show your true potential!" he laughed. "I'm sure they will place you on the list of candidates to be the next Archmage in no time! Maybe they’ll give you priority over me."

"You don't have to make fun of me!!" I exclaimed. "You're like, the best mage in the world!"

"I wouldn't overestimate myself so much... I'm sure there are 3 or 4 better sorcerers than me," he replied. I’m not sure if he was joking. "But - I didn't make fun of you. I'm sure you'll do great things."

I had practiced a lot for that day, the bandages that covered all the wounds on my body were proof of that. Every morning, since I can remember, I memorised the spells and repeated the rituals. It was not simple, but I was happy. I dedicated myself in body and soul to fulfill my dream of being part of the Infinity Knot, following the steps of my mother and father.

My dream might not be important for many other magicians, to those dedicated to spiritual study or mundane power. Instead, the Infinity Knot was the private army of the International Magic Organization, their job was to defend humanity against supernatural threats, and for me there was nothing more important than their work.

This was the perfect time to enlist myself, the formal training could start from the age of 13.

The admissions test to get the rank of Squire required exceptional skills that a common magician would not bother to learn. Most manuals and magic books that exist teach to relax and perform long rituals that can take hours.

In a battle there is no time for that, mages who train to fight must program their bodies and minds to perform the rituals in seconds while being under a lot of physical exertion and mental stress.

Basically, we were asked to be loaded guns, ready to shoot at the slightest threat.

In addition to me, there were 50 other candidates who were waiting for their turn in the Main Hall, each in company of their tutors, or in groups giving small talk.

Some Knights of Infinity were among them, wearing their invisibility robes over their combat uniforms, helping to organize the candidates.

I looked around for a particular person, a Squire.

The young man was two years older than me, his complexion was dark, and his eyes and hair were of an unnatural green, like aquamarine.

His name was Sid, and when he realized I was watching him, he looked back at me with a gaze that felt as he could see directly through my soul.

"I'll be back in a moment, I want to say hi to Sid," I said before my father could react.

"Eh? Wait! There is no time!” he sighed. "He already left…"

Sid was by himself in a corner, nervously shuffling a deck of cards, whilst small translucent butterflies fluttered around him, as planets orbit the sun.

"Sid!" I greeted him enthusiastically. "How are you?"

The crystalline butterflies faded into the air, as if they never existed.

"A little worried," he replied while shuffling the deck, not looking up.

"You’ve been a Squire for two years! You're not going to take the test!" I said, trying to sound optimistic. "Unless ... Are you nervous about me?"

"Maybe." Sid replied, as if instead of speaking to me he whispered to the wind. "I have a bad feeling, Lume. The future is very cloudy, I can't see anything with my clairvoyance."

"That sounds a bit disturbing," I said, pretending to think on his words and taking them seriously. "It would be even more disturbing if you didn’t prophetise catastrophes every week. I'm about to believe that you are half Banshee or Dullahan instead of half Fey…”

Sid stopped shuffling.

"Should I consider that a joke?" he replied angrily. Then he approached me, and began to speak in a low voice, struggling to contain the anger that suddenly surged in him "Being half Fey is not something to make fun of. You know very well what happened to me and my sister because of that.”

"Sorry!" I said sincerely. "I didn't mean to make fun of it... I just wanted to help you to relax, not to worry about everything, we'll soon spend more time together. Like when my father trained you, and we’ll overcome all the misfortunes you predict."

"I hope so too." Sid sighed as if it was his last breath. A translucent butterfly emerged from it and fluttered around him like its extinct sisters.

"Lume! Come here!!" my father called.

"I must go now!" I said. "Wish me luck!! bye!"

"Good Luck..." the half Fey continued to shuffle his cards, occasionally drawing one that reaffirmed his fears.

When I arrived with my father, we moved away from the main hall to where the protocol Squires were leading us. I was still excited, but Sid's words filled me with concern, not for me, for him.

"Dad, why can't Sid stop predicting problems?" I asked as we walked through the labyrinthine corridors of the Arcanum.

"It is the nature of the Seers," he replied, watching me over his shoulder. Clairvoyance is the ability to interpret meaning in the chaos of the universe. It is very easy to be overwhelmed with so much information, especially if we talk about predicting the future. Although Sid is my best student---."

"Hey!!! What about me!?" I complained.

"I meant only as a Seer" My father laughed and continued explaining. "What I want to tell you is that; I taught Sid to use the cards to focus his powers, so he won’t be overwhelmed with too much information about things, like the shape of the clouds and the direction of the wind, which is his true talent. But it takes more than focus to be a good Seer, you must have the strength to endure the answers that the universe has for you."

I nodded without saying anything and we continued on our way.

My father guided me to the Sanctum of the Fortress, an immense auditorium, consisting of a large arena, like a colosseum, surrounded by stone seats. It is an ancient place, where the only light came from glass windows in the dome of the roof.

Three figures were waiting for us in the center of the auditorium, each wearing their robes over their uniforms of The Knot. We stopped in front of them.

"Council of the Arcanum, I come to introduce my son to join the Infinite Knot."

My father spoke with an ominous voice, following the protocol.

The figure in the middle stepped forward and removed his hood. His green hair and penetrating gaze were unmistakable, I felt that Sid's father was seeing my soul instead of my physical form.

Then, he looked at my father and responded by echoing his voice throughout the room.

"I, Merid Canseliet, as Archmage of this Arcanum, in the name of the Alliance of Infinity, begin this sacred ritual. Let the applicant say his name and the reason for his desire."

I clenched my fists, looking for some way to release my tension, and stepped forward.

"Lume Di Strago, son of Amakiir Di Strago and Luxia L'Hearts. I want to be part of the Alliance of the Infinity, and protect this world as a knight at the service of The Knot!"

"I demand that Lume Di Strago prove his worth," Merid said. "May the candidate's teacher leave the arena."

My father went to the stands, keeping a serious demeanour as he always did in these situations.

The three council members surrounded me, each one no further than 5 meters away from me, ready to judge my technique rigorously.

I started the ritual just as all the magicians do:

First, I had to banish the energies around me, freeing my personal space from any influence that could break my desires.

I closed my eyes and my body glowed dimly with an indigo aura. A luminescent fog began to emanate from me that seemed to contain flashes of light, like little stars being born in a nebula.

The emanation began to orbit as if I was the center of little galaxy.

At that moment, I was ready. I took a deep breath, and by exhaling I released all my energy as a supernova.

The galactic nebula that surrounded me filled the room, banishing any presence harmful to my intentions.

What surrounded me was the solidified energy that came from my mind.

Thoughts become reality.

I imagined a magic circle, which materialized around me on the ground shining brightly. Some of the nebulas had condensed onto it.

The magic circle had the Zodiac signs inscribed in its circumference and, in each cardinal direction, the alchemical symbols for the four elements - earth, air, water and fire - were placed according to the direction that the power associated with the element protected.

I inhaled again, and by exhaling the energy of the circle quickly orbited me, piling up in front of my extended hands.

I also imagined a small cube, which I could hold and teach the council, but I felt that it was not enough. Even with my Father's suggestion to keep the ritual simple, I wanted to show them everything I had learnt.

Although it was true that I did not know how to invoke legendary Astras, it was as easy for me to create a sword or axe of mental energy as it was to make a cube or a pyramid, which were the most basic forms of solid energy constructions.

My father realized my intentions, but he was not allowed to interfere. He could do nothing but observe how the mass of energy I had in front of me mutated and twisted to the rhythm of my thoughts.

I was trying to decide what to invoke exactly, when I realized something was wrong.

In the center of my forehead, I began to feel a strange burning, like a thread of blood and energy that began to escape.

I was no longer imagining the details of the Astra, but instead I was concentrating on my forehead, trying to contain whatever was forming.

"I think there is a problem!" I shouted.

"What's going on!?" My father's solemn and calm expression broke, his concern was evident.

The indigo tone of my nebulae changed to a deep ruby, ​​and a crimson vortex concentrated over my head, taking the form of a throbbing red sphere.

The last thing I saw was my father jumping over the stands trying to reach me before it was too late, but it was impossible.

A stab of pain snatched the last of my concentration and I was no longer me, my essence became energy without purpose, free and without control.