Magus Supremacy

A trip back home for a one-month vacation turned out to be the worst for Grey, as he was suddenly thrust into a battle of emotional and morally intense conflict.

Just when he was about to make his choice known, the assassin sent a shadow sword flying toward his mum.

Grey reached out to stop it, and just when he grasped the sword—thinking he'd saved her—it suddenly turned intangible and shot past him toward Clara.

"NO!" Grey shouted in horror, his eyes widening as he watched his mother's body sway left and right before collapsing with a sickening thud.

Bang!

The sound barrier shattered as Grey bolted toward his mother's fallen body. Thankfully, she was still breathing—barely. Blood oozed from her neck, staining the floor beneath her.

"Mum!" Grey cried out, cradling Clara's head on his lap, tears cascading down his cheeks. "Pl…please stay with me, Mum."

"Oh, my sweet boy," Clara whispered, her eyes fluttering open as she struggled to draw a deep, ragged breath.

"No, Mum, don't say anything. Please. I'll take you to the best healer in town. I'll get you patched up—I'll call Lord Cedric down here. Just stay with me!" Grey pleaded desperately, his voice trembling as more tears streamed freely down his face.

"You've grown so much," Clara said weakly, a soft, proud smile forming on her lips. "It's clear… you're no longer the little boy you once were."

"Please, don't talk. Save your strength, Let me take you to a healer now." Grey begged, wiping his tears. He gently tried to lift her, but Clara clutched his wrist and tugged weakly, causing him to crouch lower.

Clara shook her head. "Don't bother… I already know… that my time is up. I've always known… I would die young. I was always saddened by the thought… that I might not see you again when that time came. But… I think I must've done something good in a past life… to see you now, like this."

"Wh…what do you mean you've always known?" Grey asked, voice breaking, tears still dripping steadily.

"I'm sorry, my little sunshine," Clara whispered. "I lied… I'm no ordinary human. I…I have magic. My affinity… it allows me to see the future. I rarely use it, but… I did look into my own future once. I saw this moment. I knew it was coming. I'm so sorry…"

"Why didn't you tell me?! I could've done something—I could've stopped this!" Grey shouted, gripping her torn clothes in anguish.

"I know… and that's exactly why I didn't say anything," Clara said softly. "Destiny can't be changed. I tried everything to alter my fate… but nothing worked. So I gave up fighting it."

"No, Mum… please, don't do this to me. Please let me take you to a healer… anything…" Grey begged, his voice hoarse, his nose running, his eyes swollen from crying.

"Do...don't take me anywhere. I'd rather spend my last breath in your arms," Clara whispered, lifting a trembling hand to caress Grey's cheek.

Grey clutched her hand tightly and pressed her palm to his face, kissing it gently as tears fell uncontrollably from his eyes.

"You're my little sunshine, my honey, and my sweetheart," Clara said, her voice faint but filled with love. "Pl...please don't stray from the good path, my love. No matter the circumstances, don't turn evil. No matter the pain, the heartbreak, or the suffering... please, don't let it corrupt you."

"Pr...pro...promise me, Grey," she pleaded, her voice cracking as fresh tears streamed from her weary eyes. "Promise you'll find Jesse and take care of her. Promise me you won't do evil. Promise me... you'll always be my little sunshine. Please... promise me."

Grey sobbed harder, his shoulders trembling as he gripped her hand tighter.

"I...I promise, Mum. I won't do anything bad. I won't do evil. I won't use my powers—my strength—for destruction. I'll never steer away from the path you've shown me," Grey vowed, his voice loud and broken. "I swear it! Now please... let me take you to a healer. Mum... please!"

"I... I love... love you, Grey..." Clara whispered. A single tear trickled down her cheek as her hand slid off Grey's face and fell limp beside her.

"Mum?! Mum! Mum!" Grey cried out, frantically shaking her. "No, please don't do this to me! Wake up, Mum. Please! I already promised—I swore to follow your path—so please don't leave me!"

His voice cracked as snot and tears streamed down his face. "I already lost Dad... I freaking lost Dad! You became my only support... my strength. Don't leave me too!" he roared, the agony in his voice cutting through the still air like a blade.

Grey's mind began flooding with memories—the day his mother brought Jesse home... the dinners they shared... Jesse's laughter... his mother's scolding voice... the time he brought Elara home and Clara chased him around the house with a shoe, grabbing his ears and lecturing him with love.

He remembered the time his friends visited from the academy, and how his mum treated them all as her own children.

The teasing, the warm late-night talks, the radiant smile that always comforted him. Every memory came crashing down like a tidal wave, fueling the grief that ripped through his chest.

"NOOOOO! MUUUUUUM!" Grey screamed as he collapsed onto Clara's lifeless body, bawling like a child. His tears soaked her clothes as he clung to her for dear life.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." The assassin scoffed mockingly, his voice laced with cruel amusement.

Grey slowly raised his head, his gaze still locked on his mother's face.

"Even with all your power... all your magic... even as a multi-elementalist, you couldn't save your own mother. How pathetic. How useless can a son be?" the assassin spat.

Grey didn't reply.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. Sparks of lightning crackled around his fingers. He slowly rose to his feet, head bowed, staring at his mother in silence. The lightning fizzled out for a moment.

"Kek... kek... kek, kek..." A soft, eerie chuckle escaped his lips.

The assassin blinked in confusion as Grey's shoulders began to shake. The chuckle grew louder, more manic, more twisted.

Then it turned into full-blown laughter.

Grey clutched his stomach and tilted his head back, laughing through gritted teeth, tears still streaming from his bloodshot eyes. He laughed for a full minute, unhinged, until the sound abruptly stopped.

SILENCE!

The entire living room fell deathly quiet. And then...

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Grey roared into the sky for a few seconds, his hands immensely clenched and he slowly turned toward the assassin, his bloodshot eyes burning with fury. His hands clenched even tighter, blood dripping from between his fingers.

"Oh you have just gone and pissed me off now." Grey said as his red eyes glowed with intensity, his hair floated above his shoulders and so did his clothes.

His crimson hair lifted, suspended in the wind that now surged through the room. His clothes fluttered violently as the pressure in the air thickened.

BOOM!

A bolt of lightning tore through the roof, crashing into Grey's body with divine wrath. The entire house trembled.

Thunder rumbled overhead as clouds churned ominously, casting the sky in pitch-black darkness. Lightning streaked across the heavens, illuminating the storm.

"You dared to kill my mum," Grey said in a voice so calm, it was chilling.

The skies roared louder, echoing the storm within him.

"So it's only right that you join her," he finished coldly.

BANG!

With a thunderous blast, Grey vanished from his spot.

In the next heartbeat, he was in front of the assassin.