Michael Dark

Prologue:two years ago

Emily Crow was strolling through the woods on her way home from school. As always. Her life was so boring. Her parents expected her to be perfect in school, and she was, she was so perfect she was sick of it. They didn't know how it felt to be controlled, even though they said that they understood. She wasn't stupid. She knew that they only wanted her to be successful for the money. Just like they did with her brother, Jaimie. He worked with the government of Allainia. He had wanted to be an artist when he was younger, but they had manipulated him into thinking that he would never get the job. That he would never get money. That he would never get love. She didn't want to make the same mistake. They wanted her to be a lawyer, but she wanted to be a detective, looking at crime scenes and solving the crime. She knew that if she didn't reach far enough for this dream, her parents would crush it like a bug. She had always been good at problem solving and found a passion for solving puzzles. But her parents thought it was childish and 'unlady-like'. She wanted a life where no one could control her every move. Like her parents... poor Jaimie.

She was just about to leave the trees and the greenery behind to cross the concrete road, but she had a gut feeling that led deep within the dark, green woods. It was a feeling that she couldn't shake off. Maybe this could be the start of her dream. She turned and strolled cautiously back into the trees, the breeze she made making the leaves move and the grass sway.

" I'm getting close, I can feel it." , she thought.

As she approached a clearing in the middle of the forest, she saw two men fighting one another. It was the most peculiar thing she had ever encountered. Well, there was a close second to this but that was a dancing squirrel in the rain. She preferred not to think about it. Instead of thinking about the squirrel, she decided to look closely at the battling men. One man had dark skin and a small, slim, sour-blonde moustache and no hair on his head, while the other had a pale tone to his skin. He had dark hair that hid underneath a dark coloured hat and a shaven face with slick, smooth eyebrows. The Bald Man looked like he was full of rage and anger, kicking and punching with no accuracy whatsoever, whilst the Other Man fought with ease and looked like he knew what moves the Bald Man would throw at him. The Bald Man threw a punch to the Other Man's stomach, he grunted and counteracted this by twisting to the left and getting the Bald Man in a choke. The Bald Man stomped on the Other Man's foot then ripped the arms off his neck and pushed him to get the Other Man off balance. As the Other Man got up, the Bald Man took two small steps backwards to try and avoid the next attack. The Other Man caught the Bald Man by surprise by leaping up off the ground and shooting an elbow to the Other Man's nose, making it dribble blood. After that, they went back to kicking, punching and elbowing.

After what felt like an age, she finally started to get bored crouching in a bush watching two men fight to what seemed like death. Until she saw the impossible. A type of impossible that you would only see on TV or read on the pages of a book. She watched in amazement, terror and fear when she witnessed the Bald Man clap his hands together and throw fire at the Other Man. The Other Man seemed to flick his wrist and the fire went the opposite way towards the Bald Man, pushing the Bald Man and the fire to the ground, making the dirt and the grass dent beneath him.

She wanted to run away. She wanted to scream, run away and go back home. But she didn't. Emily remembered her life back at home, the life that made her perfect. The life that made her bored. The life that made her normal. The life that her parents controlled. She didn't want that. She wanted to get to know the sensation of the adrenaline pumping through her body, to give her that extra boost of energy that would make her faster, her mind sharper. She wanted to feel what it was like when hot fire came from her hands. She was sixteen, she could do whatever she wanted.

Suddenly she shot up, and heard a painful scream as the Bald Man ran past her, the leaves flying around him in his wake. His clothes were charred and on fire with his moustache half burnt and crusted to a crisp and dried blood all over his face, unaware that she was just standing there, her blue eyes widening as he ran. Emily looked back at the Other Man as he started to brush off the moustache ashes from his shoulders. She stayed as still as possible and held her breath, but he still saw her.
"So. You saw the whole thing did you?"
His voice was deep and had a slight British accent. She looked at him for a second, then walked towards him, tense and cautious.
"Yes I did."
"And I'm guessing you saw the fire?"
"Yes."
They stood there for a while before the Other Man spoke.
"Did he see you?"
"I don't think so. Why?"
"Good."
Without giving her an explanation as to why they were there and fighting and doing magic, he started walking away. But she wouldn't let that happen so easily. So she followed him. He noticed and spun around in her direction.
"Why are you following me?"
"I want to do magic."
He paused for a moment, then turned again and then carried on walking.
"How do you know it's magic?"
"Because you don't see people throwing bloody fire and doing stuff to the air everyday do you?"
"I do."
"Really? Woah... so... will you teach me?"
He sighed and went over to a slim, black car.
"And why would I do that? I don't even know you and I'm sure you have a loving family that will be wondering where you are right now. Even if I do decide to teach you magic,you would still have school I presume?"
She quickly got her phone out and texted her mum, 'I'll be in the school library doing homework, I will call when I leave'
As she put her phone in her pocket she looked at him and muttered," Is there a way to get me out of school? Like another me or something? And I'm sure you would love me if you got to know me."
He sighed,then he smiled a little hoping she wouldn't notice but at the same time, hoping that she did.
"Sure, why not. Get in if you really have to."
A grin popped up on her face.
"I'm Emily, Emily Crow."
"Michael Dark."
"Cool."