Life Beyond End

"Aghh..." Flynn groaned, his voice raspy as his eyes fluttered open.

His vision was blurry at first, the pale light of the infirmary lamps stinging his eyes. He blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The soft clinking of glass vials and the faint scent of herbs filled the air.

What happened? His gaze darted around the room, his thoughts racing. The infirmary…? I'm in the castle's infirmary…

Then it hit him like a slap to the face. The events of last night flashed through his mind—Auden, Pheore, Elene… and that damned sword. His stomach churned with embarrassment.

I shouldn't have used Alvron... he thought bitterly, his fists clenching beneath the blanket.

The door creaked open, and Flynn's head snapped toward the noise. In marched the entire royal family, looking like they'd just seen a ghost.

"Flynn! Are you okay!?" Jane's voice rang out as she bolted toward him, her cat-like tail pointing straight up. Her blue eyes were wide with panic. "W-what happened!? Tell me!"

Flynn tried to sit up, but his body protested with sharp, searing pain. He winced and forced a smile. "It's okay, Jane... I'm fine," he said, attempting to sound reassuring.

Fuck, everything hurts. He shifted awkwardly, his muscles screaming in protest.

Jane wasn't convinced, her expression doubtful. "Are you sure? You look like you've been hit by a runaway carriage."

"I'm fine," Flynn insisted, trying not to let his voice crack from the pain. He was not about to admit he felt like he'd been set on fire and left to roast.

"Jane, sweetie," Pheore interjected, her tone firm but motherly, "could you step out for a moment? We need to talk to Flynn alone."

Jane hesitated, looking back and forth between her mother and Flynn. "...Alright, Mom." She sighed in defeat, dragging her feet as she walked toward the door. Before closing it, she gave Flynn one last worried glance.

The room fell silent as the door clicked shut.

"Okay, Flynn." Auden's voice cut through the quiet like a blade. He crossed his arms, his piercing gaze locked onto Flynn. "What the hell was that last night?"

Flynn's heart sank. He hadn't even had a chance to prepare a good excuse.

"Uh..." he stammered, his mind scrambling for an answer. Shit, shit, shit. If I lie, they'll know. If I tell the truth... Nope, not an option.

"I... don't even know," he finally mumbled, avoiding Auden's gaze.

Auden raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.

"But how did you use such powerful magic?" Elene asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"I don't know," Flynn repeated, louder this time. He was starting to sweat—not from the pain, but from the pressure. "I-I guess I was just... born with it?"

Pheore narrowed her eyes. "Born with it? That's your explanation?"

"Well, yeah," Flynn said quickly, hoping to steer the conversation away from specifics. "But, uh... what exactly happened last night?"

Auden sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "After you pulled out that red sword—what did you call it? Alvron?—those glowing red marks appeared all over your body. They started draining your energy. Or, more accurately, your mana."

Flynn froze, his eyes widening. "Wait, wait, what!? I have mana!?"

Elene blinked, stunned by his reaction. "...Flynn, everyone has mana. That's... that's basic knowledge."

"Well, yeah, duh! I knew that," Flynn said quickly, though his panicked expression said otherwise. "I just... didn't think I could use magic because, y'know, when I was a kid—"

"You mean when you were two?" Pheore cut in, raising an eyebrow.

Flynn gulped. Shit, I've said too much.

Elene gasped, her eyes practically sparkling. "Wait a second! You could read when you were two!?"

Flynn's brain short-circuited. Oh, crap, crap, crap! Damage control, Flynn! Damage control!

"Well, yeah," he said, forcing a nonchalant laugh. "My parents always called me a 'genius,' so, you know... no big deal!"

"No big deal!?" Elene repeated, looking like she was about to explode. "That's insane!"

Auden let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "You're giving me a headache, Flynn," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Listen, kids below the age of five can't use magic. Their affinities haven't awakened yet. That's why this whole thing doesn't make sense!"

Flynn stared at him, dumbfounded. "Wait, seriously? Nobody told me that!"

"Because it's common knowledge," Pheore said dryly.

Flynn sank back into his pillow, trying to process everything. So that's why my magic never worked before. My affinity hadn't awakened yet. Makes sense... I guess.

"Uh, Elene?" Flynn asked hesitantly, his voice soft.

She tilted her head. "Yes?"

"I... I was wondering if you could maybe... train me in magic?" Flynn's voice wavered slightly, and he locked eyes with her. His expression turned into something out of a puppy commercial—big, pleading eyes that could melt even the coldest heart.

Elene's brain short-circuited. Oh my god. Oh my god. She clasped her hands over her chest, leaning closer to him. "Of course I'll train you!" she practically squealed, her smile wide enough to rival the sun.

Auden groaned, shaking his head. "Really, Elene? That's all it takes?"

"Shut up, Auden!" she snapped, throwing a quick glare his way before turning back to Flynn with a grin. "We're gonna start tomorrow! I'll teach you everything!"

"Thank you!" Flynn said, flashing his best innocent smile. Heh, works every time.

Pheore rolled her eyes. "Elene, you're way too easy. And you," she added, pointing at Auden, "stop acting like you're above it. You're practically drooling over his 'puppy eyes' too."

"W-what!?" Auden spluttered, his face turning a deep shade of red. "I am not!"

"Aw, come on, Auden," Pheore teased, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Admit it. He's got you wrapped around his little finger."

"AWFAHOSIFH!" Auden choked, spewing out a string of unintelligible gibberish as he turned away, his ears burning.

Flynn couldn't help but chuckle. Yeah, the 'secret persuasive technique' never fails.

Then Pheore made the mistake of looking directly at Flynn.

"Aw, no!" she muttered under her breath, already feeling her resolve crumbling.

"AWAWAWAWAWW!" she squealed, clapping her hands together.

Flynn grinned to himself, basking in the chaos he'd created. Mission accomplished.