The Brothers of Nexus

Kael could barely stand as he dragged himself into Embermire, his whole body on fire. Every breath felt like knives in his lungs, and his brother Draven was a dead weight on his back. God, Draven hadn't moved an inch since they'd left those damn woods - just those shallow, raspy breaths that were driving Kael crazy with worry. Find Gideon. That's all he could think about. The old healer had helped them before, back when Dad used to bring them here. He had to help now. When Kael finally found the crooked little herb shop, he practically fell through the door. "Gideon!" he croaked out. "The mushrooms - we ate them and Draven won't wake up!" It wasn't Gideon who came first, but his daughter Jera, whirling around with those striking amber eyes of hers. "You idiots," she muttered, rushing over. "Of course you'd end up here." Then Gideon appeared, thank god, all calm and collected like always. But the moment he saw that glowing "3" on Draven's wrist, something changed. His face went hard, and his voice dropped low. "Back room. Now." They got Draven onto a cot, and Kael finally let the panic show. "Is he gonna make it? Please-" "Magic drain," Gideon cut in, squeezing his shoulder. "Nasty, but he'll pull through." But then Gideon spotted something behind Kael's ear, and everything went sideways. The old healer grabbed his wrist, staring at him like he'd seen a ghost. "An Infernal," he whispered. "You're an Infernal." The way he said it made Kael's stomach drop. "What are you talking about?" "Jera, tea," Gideon called out, leading Kael to a table up front. "We need to talk." Jera watched them from behind the counter, confused. She barely knew these boys - just faces from years ago with their dad. But something big was happening. She'd never seen her father like this. Kael couldn't stop looking back at where Draven lay, his fists clenched tight on the table. Whatever was coming, he had a feeling nothing would be the same after this conversation. Gideon sank into the chair, his expression a perfect poker face. "What hit Draven," he said, keeping his voice steady, "we call magic drain. It's like when a fire runs out of fuel - the fire is completely snuffed out . Happens a lot with newbies who don't know their limits yet. Like running a marathon without training. He'll bounce back with some rest, though." Kael let out a shaky breath, but anxiety still gnawed at him. "Right... but what's with these weird marks? And this energy stuff? And being an Infernal - what's that all about?" The words spilled out like water from a broken dam. "Is that why Draven collapsed? Why we-" "Kael." Gideon cut in, firm but gentle. "Take a breath." He waited while Kael collected himself. "Look, I get it - you've got a million questions running through your head. Let's tackle them one at a time, okay?" Jera came back with tea, setting down the steaming cups. She looked between them, picking up on the heavy vibes. Why was her dad treating this like some life-or-death situation? Gideon took a thoughtful sip before setting his cup down, eyes locked on Kael. "Alright," he said, "let's start with the basics." He broke down the power levels: Sparks were your everyday magic users, Embers packed more punch but still had limits, Flares could get creative with their magic, Ignis were the pros who soaked up magic like sponges, and Infernals... well, they were the stuff of legends, usually cooked up in some sketchy lab. Then came the fun part - affinities, or your magical flavor of choice. Twelve different elements, twelve different ways to bend reality. Draven was a fire guy, just like Gideon - no surprise there. "Fire users can spot each other," he explained. "It's like being part of this invisible club." "Hold up," Jera cut in, voice sharp with shock. "You're telling me you're a magician?" Gideon let out a long breath, like he was finally dropping a mask he'd worn forever. Slowly, deliberately, he pushed up his sleeve. There they were - two mark-like burns, dead ringers for the one on Draven's wrist. Old scars, but they told quite a story. "Once upon a time," he said softly, his words heavy with untold history. Kael's head was spinning. Gideon - the simple herb shop owner - had been a real, honest-to-god magician? What the heck? Jera stormed closer, her face a mix of hurt and rage. "You've been lying to me this whole time, pretending to be nothing more than a healer?" Gideon sighed, running fingers through his salt-and-pepper hair. "I never lied, Jera. I walked away from that life for good reasons." He quickly turned to Kael, obviously eager to change the subject. "Tell me about when it happened." Kael took a deep breath, trying to get his thoughts straight. "It came in three waves," he said, remembering. "This deep, heavy power... like someone had bottled up the night sky. It was this weird purple-blue color, with what looked like stars swirling inside, folding in on themselves." Gideon went rigid. "Stars?" When Kael nodded, his face grew even more serious. "Space affinity. No doubt about it." He glanced at Draven's unconscious form. "And your brother's got fire. Damn." He let out a long breath. "Fire and space together... that's like mixing gunpowder with lightning." "What's that supposed to mean?" Kael didn't like how that sounded. Gideon shook his head. "Kid, you've got one of the rarest powers out there. Space affinity at Infernal rank? That just doesn't happen naturally." He paused, clearly wrestling with what to say next. "People would literally kill to have what you've got. And once word gets out..." He let that hang in the air. Kael's gut clenched. Gideon paced the shop floor, his eyes catching on an old, dusty alchemy bench. Something dark crossed his face before he shook it off. "But that's tomorrow's problem. Right now, you need to understand what you're dealing with." "And what exactly am I dealing with?" Gideon's eyes locked onto his. "You're a magician standing on the edge of a knife." The silence that followed felt like it weighed a ton. Finally, Jera spoke up. "So what's our next move?" "We wait for Draven to wake up," Gideon said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Then we figure out where the heck we go from here." Kael looked toward the back room where his brother lay sleeping. Whatever had started in that forest had kicked open a door they couldn't close. And as they tumbled deeper into this world of magic and power, one thing was crystal clear - their old life was gone for good.