The Magician Who Rose From Failure Novels & Stories

He has the most beautiful smile that sends my heart into a frenzy every time I get a glimpse of it. Asher will be happy. I’ll make him happy. For the first time, he’ll be on the receiving end. “Sorry, he no longer does shows. He’s in a home or something now.” Robin’s text accompanied by an old newspaper announcing the retirement of the magician. Followed by a second text that says, “People say he wasn’t even all that good, what do you want with him?” My heart sinks. It was just within reach too. Who cares what people say? Asher said he was a great magician, and therefore he was.

I secretly swallowed because of the view. They were still shouting. I breathed deeply before starting to shake my body. "Shit! We missed you, Magda!!!" "You're mine now! I'll pay a lot!" "My f*cking hormones, sh*t! Shake it off Magda!" I could see in their eyes the admiration for my inherent beauty and charm. I felt like I'm a famous television actress that everyone is obsessed with, like pizza that will never be rejected when laid on the table, like wine and beers that can almost replace the water if swallowed, like a bad drug that when once you use, you will never stop using it and like a potion that once you have been subjected under its magic, you will never be able to escape anymore.

The crowd was silent, listening, some nodding slowly, some looking moved. This touched me way more than I expected. It made me want to tear up, who knows how much he's been through. Logan gave a dry smile. “So when people look at me now, they might see success, power, money. But what they don’t see is the wreckage it took to get here. The fire I had to walk through, the people I had to leave behind, so maybe that’s why I’m standing here tonight. To say failure isn’t the end, it's like fuel; and it burns until you rise again.”

Mag lay on the floor, battered and broken, his once formidable presence reduced to a fragile shell. "Mag," I said as I approached. "It's time to get you cleaned up." He didn't respond, his vacant stare fixed on the ceiling. The man who once controlled everything now seemed utterly defeated. I crouched beside him. "Let's get you up and into the shower," I said, offering my hand. "I'll make sure it doesn't hurt more than it has to." Mag's eyes flickered with recognition. He didn't resist as I lifted him, his body limp and compliant.

I waved at him as he turned for one last look and he touched my mind. Be well, demon girl. He was gone before I could thank him. We made a ring around the man and spirit, the family paying respect to the magician who was and bearing witness to the end of the evil. When the first rays of the morning sun lit his face, Cesard wept. And burst into flames. I couldn't watch. I turned away and took one step and found myself in Quaid's arms where I sobbed my regret into his leather jacket. ***

“Well, now that you have one in your employ, allow me to explain some of the ways I make myself useful when I am not acting the castle jester.” “I didn’t mean to insult you,” I said quickly, in an attempt to diffuse his ire. I silently cursed my stupidity. This magician was clearly a loose cannon. Baiting him like this when I was ignorant to the actual strength of his magic was true folly. “It’s just that you appeared out of nowhere from a puff of smoke. Had you just been walking down the corridor, I’d have thought you nothing more than another loyal subject. You look so… normal in your attire.”

He let out a helpless sigh. Sure enough, it was just like the test in House of Sloth. He had failed without even realizing what was happening. "Do you want to try again?" There was no point. Even as a Grandmaster, even if someone stronger than him appeared, he still wouldn't feel envy. "No." "Alright. Then, you may leave." As he stepped out, the attendant was already waiting at the entrance to the final trial. "Sir, this is the seventh challenge. Please proceed inside."

“Well, I’ll see you try.” Magnus’s jaw clenched, then he slowly looked up at Toran, tears burning in his eyes. *I failed.* *I failed the pack. I failed everyone who looked up to me. I failed my position. I failed my family. I failed myself.* Magnus bit down on his lip, anger burning in his chest. *Everything I worked for… all of it down the drain.* Toran rolled his eyes, not the slightest pity in them. “You sulking won’t change anything.”

Everything he wanted to do started now. *** *** Magick was harder to master than Agent had anticipated. His memories from Tricksy's former lives were not very helpful. He had not lived many with full access to the Chaos God aura. It was like being a combination of both a no-fur and a tom while he was casting, manipulating the auras of the medical staff who had failed him and betrayed him. He'd meant to set them up for a long-suffering fate, one that might not even kill them. But things had gone... awry.

I pointed out and he scoffed as if I was being absurd for doubting his ability. “I thought I’ve given up on my objectives, but I don’t encourage failure. It’s a shame that I’m considered powerful yet I can’t revive the dead.” He moved across the stone table and flipped the pages of the book, almost tearing off the pages because of how aged it was. “I can’t quite expand my knowledge of magic because this grimoire is bounded.”