The Magician of Miracles

A full year had passed since we were exiled beyond the wall. The comfortable life we used to live behind the walls turned into a journey of suffering. We no longer owned more than our daily food, and above our heads was that worn out roof that barely stood against the wind.

Despite all that, fortunately, my mother knew how to live here. It seemed as if she knew the alleys, the people, and even the places where food could be obtained at a lower price. Thanks to her, we managed to survive in this new environment.

My mother got a job in a small sewing factory. She used to leave at sunrise and come back after sunset, her face pale, and her hands full of small scars from needles and scissors. I tried to convince her to let me work with her, but she refused.

She used to say while taking off her coat,

"One of us has to stay with Iris, she's still young. Besides, you don't know how to use sewing tools, but I've been used to them for a long time."

On some nights, when everyone was asleep, I used to sit in the corner and stare at the paper that boy had written. I thought more than once about trying the method he described to gain power. But every time, I backed down. I didn't have the luxury of failure. If I failed, there would be no one left to take care of my mother or Iris.

...

The first year passed until I turned sixteen, while Iris turned six. Our daily meals consisted of slightly moldy stale bread with soup that tasted more like water than soup.

My mother's health deteriorated over time. She began coughing a lot and couldn't even get out of bed. Then I had no choice but to take her place in the factory. She tried to stop me, but she knew there was no other option left for us.

I worked in the sewing factory for hours every day. My hands were bleeding from the needle, and my back hurt from constant bending. But I endured. I was getting a small wage, but it was more than enough.

Unfortunately, that didn't last long. One evening, a group of men stormed into the factory, carrying clubs and knives. On their arms were black tattoos of a skull. They started smashing the machines and stealing the fabric, then set fire to the goods. The factory owner shouted at them, trying to stop them, but they grabbed him and threw him into the burning fire.

From that night, everyone lost their jobs. Me, and all the women who worked with me.

The next day, I went out looking for work, from shop to shop, but every door closed in my face. Days passed, and hunger began to eat away at my mother. Even Iris, who used to laugh in the hardest times, began to cry from hunger.

I kept searching until I finally got a job in a small restaurant as a waitress. The work was extremely tiring, but better than nothing. I used to work until midnight, returning home carrying some bread and small pieces of meat they left after closing.

My mother's health began to improve a little.

But that hope didn't last. After weeks, those men with skull tattoos came back again. They stormed the restaurant shouting, flipping tables, and pushing customers outside. One of them grabbed the cook and hit his head against the wall.

They started wreaking havoc in the place, then threw us all out of there. That was the second time I lost my job because of those bastards.

Days passed again, during which my mother's health deteriorated very rapidly. I tried to take her to the hospital with the little money I had saved, but the amount wasn't enough even for one day there. In the end, my mother passed away on her bed.

Before closing her eyes for the last time, she whispered in a weak voice,

"Take care of yourself and Iris."

After she passed away, I collapsed. I no longer wanted to get up or do anything. I didn't want to eat; I didn't want to leave the house. But I had no other choice. Iris needed me. So I got up and forced myself to look for work for her, and for myself.

Later, I noticed something strange. I had become lighter, able to move swiftly and faster. I also became able to hide and move without anyone noticing me. My use of this ability wasn't intentional at first, but when I couldn't find any work, I decided to use it.

I started stealing from the members of the Skull Gang at night. I used to snatch money bags from their pockets and then disappear. I wanted to stab them too, but I held myself back in the end; I didn't want to expose myself. With the money I collected, our lives improved greatly. Iris slept on a softer bed, and we ate meat every day. Even her laughter returned again, and then I felt as if life was smiling at me once more. But that didn't last long.

One night, after I came home from a successful theft, I turned to find a man standing behind me. Half of his face was deformed, one of his eyes completely white and the other deep black. His hair was gray, almost white.

Before I could comprehend, he raised his hand, which extended toward me quickly. I dodged the strike, and it pierced the wall of the house. Then his hand shrank back to normal.

I tried to pull out a small dagger I had hidden for emergencies and rushed at him from behind, but before I could touch him, my mother appeared before me in his place. I stepped back, and then that man appeared again.

He smiled a wide smile that made me shiver,

"Interesting, what kind of authority power do you possess?"

I didn't respond and tried to attack him again with my dagger, but before I even reached him, he had already disappeared quickly and appeared behind me in a sudden move, striking me hard on my back, which sent me flying backward.