"Today's the day, Kada." I told myself the second I opened my eyes. I had finished my six years of schooling and now I was sixteen and ready to go on my adventure. I pushed back my sheets and jumped out of my hammock. Around me, other sixth-years were waking up. I ran outside and the familiar smell of damp moss and jungle leaves caressed my face. I had already gotten dressed the night before so I had no need to bother now. I lifted my arms in a wide stretch and praised the god Falven for a beautiful day.

"Hey, Kada," I heard a vioce from behind me say. "You ready? Nervous at all?"

I turned and another sixth-year, and my best friend, Hora, was smiling at me. "I am I ever!" I replied enthusiasticly. "If I have to play another game of Chester with Master Dopi I'll go nuts!"

A Young One pulled on my loincloth. "Come, sixth year," he said. "Your ceremony is going to begin." He was a smart young one I had mentored myslef in the fourth year. Though he had not finished even his first year, he was smart enough to understand the importance of today.

"Come on, Hora," I said trotting towards the center if the village. "We don't want to be late for our own graduation." He trotted up beside me and together we walked into a group of early birds who had gathered for the ceremony. We took a seat on the packed earth before the magic fire that sparked with more life every time a new graduate took a seat. Before long, the purple and green flames were roaring and so was the nearly palpable excitement in the air.

Then, a high priest stepped into the ring, which was magic so only they and us graduates could. The rest of the village gathered around the transucculent boundaries.

"Be still, all of you." The preist called to the crowd. Then be began the ceremony. "Today, is a very special day, for all of us." he motioned to everyone. "Today we celebrate the end of a great new genaration of adventurerers. They have been trained, educated and supported by you-" he motioned to the village crowd. "and each other." he motioned to the graduates. "And now, after six, short years of training, we must allow them to leave the embrace of all of our love and care, and allow them to lead their own lives, exploring the unventured and discovering the unknown. We all bid them a happy, but sorrowful farewell." He paused momentarily to beckon a waiting servant who carried the pendants and brands. "In reciveing these symbols of graduation, we allow these young men and women to leave this village and start a new village, or great city, or even a new nation, as our ancestor, Kalan did five-hundred years ago." He took the first pendant from the kneeling servant.

"Hora Domini." he called out and Hora rose to stand in front of the fire.

"Yes, your holiness." said Hora maturely.

"Do you promise, upon recieving this mark, to always follow the adivce of your family, teachers, and peers?"

"Yes, sir."

"And to always follow the guidance of the gods?"

"Yes, sir.

I started welling with excitement, 'Here comes my favorite part!' I thought.

"And finally, to always trust your heart, letting your own will lead you to your ultimate destiny?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then I, Gorhav the eighteenth, high preist of the village of Gorhavono, rename you Horano Dominus. May your travels be fruitful and enlightening." Then he handed the newly named Horano a pendant, putting his hand sriaght through the fire. Horano reached into the fire and took it. It glowed brightly and Horano's official magic mark embeded itself into the piece of stone. He put the pendant around his neck and stepped outside the circle, with the other men. I knew I was next because I've always been right after Hora in everything for as long as I can rememeber.

"Kada Motros." The preist called out again. I rose to stand where Hora once stood, replaced by the man called Horano. The purple flames cast a lavender simmer on my almost completely white skin. The preist began again.

"Do you promise, upon recieving this mark, to always follow the adivce of your family, teachers, and peers?"

"Yes, sir." I replied, trying not to sound too girly. The roaring fire filled my nostrils with the scent of brewing tea, wildflowers and fruit. But ledgend is, everyone smells something different in this fire.

"And to always follow the guidance of the gods?"

"Yes, sir." I started getting this strange feeling, like the sensation one gets when they know something bad is going to happen but they don'e knoe when of what. I tried not to let it show, but my parents always said that they could read my eyes like scrolls.

"And finally, to always trust your heart, letting your own will lead you to your ultimate destiny?"

"Yes, sir." by now, my mind was not on the ceremony, but on whatever dark feeling that ahd seemed to creep into the eyes of the whole crowd now.

"Then I, Gorhav the eighteenth, high priest of the village of Gorhavono, rename you as-" he was broken off by the ear-splitting roar of some strange animal. The thing, black as night and shrouded in a thick mist glared its glowing red eyes at each of us. We were screaming and running trying to get as far away from the Night Demon as possible. It advanced letting another thunder-like roar. Four more Night Demons joined its relentless destrudtion of the village. I didn't care to look back until I was sure I was hidden. Oce behind a large well, I peeked up to see the warriors jabbing spears and shooting arrows at the evil-smelling beasts. Among them was Horano. I wanted to yell to him, tell him he needed to run and hide this time, but I couldn't. Not just beacuse my screams were being stolen by fear but I would endanger the fleeing villagers. I looked back again and a warrior was being swung around by the Night Demon that had gripped his spear. The man flew off and came soaring over the villagers and landed right next to the well I was hiding behind. He didn't move after that. Around me, Night Demons were making kindling of the village. The church went down with a huge roar of wooden beams and stone. The villagers houses crashed to the ground and caught fire on the hearths that had been left burning. That gave me an idea.

"The ceremony fire!" I said aloud and made a daring sprint to the ring. I dove into the purple flames and hoped I hadn't been noticed. Behind me, I could hear the men shouting and the roars of the Night Demon. Then, out of all of the chaos, I was able to pick out the voice of Horano.

"Sleep forever, you ugly beast!" He shouted. I turned in time to see him jumping fom the roof of a half-destroyed biulding, his spear facing downwards, onto the beast. His spear just grazed the Night Demon and it roared in pain. The beast turned and grasped Horano who had fallen to the ground. Then it let a howl and ran off into the forest. But just as it dissappeared, another replaced it, this new one bigger and more fearsome than the first. This time, it came straight for me. I prayed to Umango, the god of magic, that the barrier would hold. The monster hurled itself at the barrier, but it simply bounced off. The flames around me no longer gave any hint of smell, a sign that the magic of the village was dwindling with its destruction. The Night Demon kpet hurling itself at the barrier and bouncing off, taking chunks of glowing mist with it each time. It howled for the others which came in a matter of seconds. They all started hurling their black, foggy bodies at the barrier, which weakened by the second. The large Night Demon punded it one last time and it popped like a bubble on a pond. The magic fire didn't go out, but now it didn't even give off any heat. The five beasts loomed over me. Their bodies like the night sky and eyes like extremely red stars. Then the sky fell on me. I braced myslef for the end, but it didn't come. I looked up and the magicfire had turned a pure white and the demons had been blown back. They all scampered off, leaving the buring village to fall on its own. I heard their howls and roars as they trampled trees and smashed bushes, retreating to wherever Night Demons go. I stood, but I was not on my feet for long. The Night Demons came back with a monster ten times their size, and fifty times their fearsome looks. It towered over the village like a looming storm cloud, its firey body held up by six muscular legs. Its six eyes glowed with a white hot fire and its six horns stuck out at the back of its head like many broken trees.

"Oh, Jamon." I muttered, shaking like a leaf. "Its the God of the Dark!" I fell over into the still blazing white fire. The Young Ones had been told stories of the fearsome god, but it was only to make them obey a teacher's commands or parents' house rules. I had never imagined that I would die looking at this terrible, nightmare creature.

The beast roared and all that was left standing of the village fell into dust. Any people who were unlucky enough not to have gotten away fell with it. It turned on me and let out another roar, only, this time, to no avail. Its white fire eyes blazed with rage. It pounced on me and managed to pin down the white fire. There was only a few inches of space between by nose and the creature's claws. The god kept pressing until I thought it could get no closer. The pressure of the condensed magic fire and evil magic flooded my senses. I heard the rush of the two magic against each other, I smelled burning flesh, I saw pulsating black and white shapes, my skin felt as if it were about to burst into flames, there was a taste of blood in my mouth.

Then, everything went quiet. There was no more roaring, no more pain, no more anything. I knew I was not seeing darkness, for even darkness has its own feel. I felt as if I were floating in an endless sea, in which I could breathe. But something about this place, about me, was very strange. I was able to think, to feel, so I could not be dead. It was not firey or evil smelling, so it was not the Underworld. There was no anything. This place had absolutely nothing, just a lot of pressure forcing in on me from all sides. I tried to look down, to move, but I didn't even exist here. Then how am I seeing this place? I thought, If not even I exist.

Beacuse here is nowhere. said a mysterious-sounding voice. "What does that mean? Who are you?" I tried to say, but no sound existed here. I am not. The voice replied to my soundless words. "Then how are you speaking to me?" again, no sound. I come from the escense of darkness and light. I am canceled out by their opposing forces, sont to spend eternity in this ream of nothing. Only the most powerful Magi can harness the power of this place. "Then can you tell me how I got here?" I asked the voice, soundless again. You were caught in a battle of light and dark. You were canceled out with the power of the two forces, sent here, where nothing always goes. "Am I able to get out of here?" the pressure was beginning to be unbearable now, pressing in like steel weights. Only those who have dealt in the affairs of light and dark may enter and exit at will. All others will become nothing, like me, forced to live an eternal life of silence and darkness. Anyone who does escape this place with bear the Curse of the Canceled. "Can you get me out of here? I am willing to bear this curse." The voice was slilent for quite a while, as if it were thinking. Then it spoke again. Well... I've never heard anyone willingly offer to bear the curse. Still, I will only free you if you can offer something in return. I Thought about this, but I did not have long to think. The pressure of this nowhere place were unbearable and if this place had any sound, I would be screaming. "I will free you of this place!" i managed to silently choke out. "Free me and I will become more powerful and free you!" If that is your best offer, I shall free you. Break your promise and your pretty, white escense is mine forever! The voice echoed and I felt as if I were falling a long way, like a strong wing rushing against me. All went white.