The Nullborn Curse

Fated Without Consent

I didn’t expect to die on the first day of school, but here we are.

Technically, I wasn’t dead yet. But as I stood in the middle of the combat hall, surrounded by glowing glyphs, flame-tipped spears, and students whispering like they were picking out a casket, I figured it was only a matter of time.

This wasn’t part of the orientation brochure. And once again, I was regretting ever agreeing to attend this school.

The day was going like any good nightmare, me dragging my single sad suitcase across marble floors, too shiny to exist in a place filled with teenage students with temperamental magic.

Solare Academy was a fortress disguised as a palace, and I was the trespasser pretending to belong. Because I didn’t.

I couldn’t fly. Couldn’t shoot out a laser from my eyes. Didn’t have incredible strength or speed.

I had no single supernatural bone in my body, and yet the headmistress was convinced I belonged here.

It was only a matter of time before she realized she had made a mistake. Magic doesn’t lie, my ass.

I found my assigned room in the east tower, room 306, and was greeted by the echo of my own heartbeat.

My roommate wasn’t around.

I was gladdened by that discovery, one less obnoxious person to deal with for the day.

That was until the door was pulled open behind me and a voice called out.

“You are Aeris Vale,” The girl said, it wasn’t a question.

I turned around to look at her.

She had floating rings of wind curling around her wrists. And she was airborne.

Like they all lose their ability to walk the moment they find out they could fly.

Her gaze flickered over me like he was scanning for hidden powers, when she found nothing she Immediately lost interest.

“I’m Rowan. Your roommate. Guess they are letting nullborns in now,”

She seemed quite charming. Bet we would get along well.

We didn’t talk much after that. Not until an hour later when we walked together across the campus towards our first combat class.

Apparently, she was a first-year student just like me.

“Wait, you have never really trained before?” she asked for what seemed to be he tenth time since we left the dorms. She didn’t seem to believe it when I told her.

“Nope,” I answered, like she asking me so many times would change my answers. “Unless you count dodging rocks in alley fights,” I added.

Her silence was brutal.

When we entered the sparring hall, it was already packed. Stone floors inscribed with elemental sigils. A wall of enchanted weapons. At least three different students had hair that was on fire. I could feel power dripping off them.

I was still convinced that this was still some sort of cult and somehow I had joined them.

The moment I stepped in there were whispers and stares. The word nullborn floated through the crowd.

“What’s supposed to happen now?” I whispered to Rowan who was beside me.

“We wait for names to be matched,”

Then names began flashing on the arcane boards above the sparring platform.

Match One: Loire Vs. Dren.

Match Two: Finn Vs. Kato.

Match Three: Aeris Vs. Kael Virel.

My stomach dropped through my shoes.

“What?” I blinked. “Did that just say—?”

“Please tell me there is another Aeris in this school and it’s not my name I am currently staring at,” All my pleas turned to dust when Rowan turned to me.

“Oh my gods,” She cried out, eyes wide. “Kael? Kael Virel?”

Something told me I wasn’t going to like this one bit.

“Who is he?” but yet I asked.

She didn’t answer at first. She just turned and pointed to the far side of the hall.

I followed her finger and froze. It was him.

The light bulb guy. The one I had smacked into at the gates. I was expected to fight him?

He stood there like he owned the damn room, firelight cackling off his shoulders and his hair tousled in that infuriating way that looked effortless.

He had an aura that said I could end you without blinking.

“Oh, f**k,” I breathed.

“You are doomed,” Rowan whispered. And at that moment, I believed her.

I turned to leave, There was no way I was going to actually fight. Have you met me?

I am a Klutz. I trip over literal nothing. I can’t even dodge a billboard in front of me and its nothing even moving.

And now I am expected to FIGHT?

YEAH, NO.

“Maybe I can skip. Maybe I'll fake a nosebleed. Or a sudden death. That’s a thing, right? They would let me get off with that, right?

“Too late,” Rowan muttered. “They are calling you,”

My name echoed across the room again, louder this time. A hush followed, dozens of eyes burned holes into my back as I walked—no stumbled—towards the dueling platform.

Kael was already there, flame dancing lazily across his fingertips.

When I stepped into the circle, he looked up. His eyes were blank, nothing like before.

“Surrender now, nullborn,” He said, his voice flat. “Let’s not embarrass you more than necessary.”

It was meant to be dismissive, maybe his idea of mercy. But what it did was piss me off.

“Oh, bite me.” I snapped—and charged.

I had no plan, no technique. No f*****g idea what I was doing, but I ran at him anyway.

My fists clenched by my sides, my heart hammering in my chest.

He barely moved, just flicked two fingers and a wall of flames roared towards me.

Well crap.

Instinct screamed and I dove, rolling under it. I felt the heat sing past my scalp and the smell of burning hair drifted into my nose.

I came up coughing, singed and furious.

“Missed me,” I gasped. Barely.

I was only lucky right now, but I wasn’t sure about the next time.

“You are reckless.” He said, annoyed. His gaze on my face told me he thought of me as only a bug he was going to squash.

“You are an ass.” I shot back.

Kael’s mouth twitched, and then he threw another flame.

I ducked again, this time moving on pure adrenaline. My limbs knew what to do even when I didn’t. And for a second, I moved with the fire, not against it.

Kael frowned, just slightly. “You shouldn’t be able to do that.”

I blinked, “Do what?”

But I didn’t get to ask again, because the moment our eyes locked—

Something snapped, and it seemed like flames had been ignited inside of me.

Screaming out in pain, I fell to my feet, curling myself into a ball.

“What did you do to me!” I growled at him, barely able to recognize my voice.

A blinding pulse of gold and scarlet exploded around us and the pain I felt before was gone.

Slowly, I rose to my feet, confused about what the f**k was happening.

A ribbon of light lashed our wrists together, searing with warmth that wasn’t pain--- but it wasn’t pleasure either.

The hall gasped. Kael was frozen in place.

My knees nearly gave out and something ancient inside of me whispered.

“MINE.”

And then everything went black.