“You’re taking this very well for someone who just had their entire world turned upside-down,” Leo says, noticing how calm Victor is.
“I guess deep down, I’ve always known there was something different about me,” Victor tails off, gazing out the window.
Leo looks out the same window as Victor. “Looks like we’re here.”
The car pulls up to a warehouse. There isn’t much light around, which makes Victor a little nervous. But as long as Leo’s with him, he feels safe. Two muscular men in dark suits open the doors for Victor and Leo. Victor fixes his blazer, walks around the car, and stands beside Leo. The car drives off when a woman walks out of the warehouse.
The woman, dressed in a skintight black leather outfit and black high-heeled boots, greets them. “Hello, Warlocks. WizardLandring is waiting for you inside.” She turns to walk inside, and everyone follows. She pushes a sliding door to the side with ease. Inside, the center is well-lit, while all around, is dark.
Victor looks concerned as he looks around. “Is there a reason we need to be in an abandoned warehouse?” he asks Leo.
“Well, we can’t practice in the open where the mundane can see us,” Leo answers while walking further inside.
“Why didn’t we walk through a mirror to get here?” Victor ponders.
“Karl doesn’t like mirrors for some reason. Maybe it’s because he can’t stop looking at himself,” Leo jokes.
As they reach the center of the warehouse, they see a tall man standing rigidly in a military posture in the light. He stands with his hands clasped behind his back, looking on with piercing blue eyes. He’s wearing a dark green suit, a matching tie, and a light yellow shirt. He keeps a neutral face as he watches Victor and Leo approach him.
The woman gestures to keep moving forward. “Empath Russo, please meet Wizard Karl Landring.”
Leo and Victor stop about six feet from Karl. “Wizard?” Leo asks. “Really, Karl? You’re introducing yourself as a Wizard now? And what’s with the fanfare?”
Victor looks confused as he sees Leo mocking Karl, but Karl doesn’t move. He starts to worry until he notices Karl’s orange and yellow aura.
Karl tries to keep his composure but loses it, revealing a cheerful expression towards Leo. “You son-of-bitch, I can’t keep my stoic demeanor around you. How the fuck are ya?” Karl pulls Leo in for a bear hug.
Leo pats Karl’s back as though he’s hugging too tightly. “I’m good. It’s been a hot minute since we last saw each other.”
Karl has a big grin as he looks at Victor. “The last time I saw this guy was when I made the mistake of marrying that whore ofan ex-wife. That was what, almost eight years?” Karl releases Leo from his grip.
“Give or take,” Leo answers as he rolls one of his shoulders. “Karl, this is Victor, the empath warlock you’ve been hearing about.”
Karl shakes Victor’s hand much too firmly for Victor’s tastes. “Ah, yes!” Karl responds. “You’re the one Akisha and Jeanie keep talking about.”
Victor tries to hold his composure as he feels the metacarpals in his hand breaking. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Landring. Or should I say wizard?”
Karl laughs gleefully. “Karl is fine. There’s no need to worry about formalities here, especially in the presence of an empath.”
Karl releases Victor’s hand, and Victor tries his best not to see if his hand is broken. Victor gives Leo a confused look and mouths,“What does he mean by that?”
Leo notices and answers, “What Karl means is that Empaths are highly honored by those who don’t fear them. Sometimes, they are introduced as Empaths, just as you were introduced a moment ago.”
“Seems a bit overkill, doesn’t it?” Victor responds.
“We’re a bit traditional,” Karl smiles widely. Using his Air Magic, he reaches for a chair, sliding it beside Victor. “Here, take a seat and watch for a moment. I’m going to show you your first spellcasting.”
Victor gives Leo a baffled expression. Leo just smiles and shrugs, as if he were saying,“Just go with it.”Victor takes his seat at the edge of the light. Leo moves to another edge of the light, directly across from Karl.
Karl takes his spot in the center and places his hands on his hips. “Tonight, my young empath, I will show you how to use Air to counter a Fire attack. Now, I know what you’re thinking,‘Doesn’t Fire need Air to survive?’ The answer is yes.Butwhat if you can take the Air out of the Fire?”
“Doesn’t that seem a little advanced for him?” Leo queries. “Thisishis first magic lesson.”
Karl shows off his pearly whites and replies, “He’s an empath. He’ll be able to pick up faster than you can say,‘Bitch better have my money.’” Leo rolls his eyes at Karl’s “impressive” dance moves.
Karl rolls his shoulders and cracks his neck. He looks over at Leo and gives a nod. Leo places his hands to his side and stands up tall. Leo keeps a blank expression as he focuses on creating a fireball. With a few hand and arm movements, Leo hurls a basketball-sized yellow fireball at Karl.
Karl raises his arms and spreads his fingers apart in front of him. Karl positions his hands with one palm facing upward and the other facing the fireball. As soon as the fireball is inches away, he flicks his hands above his head and spreads them shoulder-width apart, freezing the fireball inside a faded, cloudlike bubble.
