Casey walked along the pool's stone edge, its cool, damp surface pressed into his bare feet.
Casey planted himself, and drew in a deep breath of the drafty morning air.
The chill reached his lips, and white filled his line of sight. A frozen storm shrieked through the fence's pikes, and tore into the tall grass beyond the yard.
Over time the air stilled.
But cold vapor still drifted from his mouth as his teeth chattered. Sweat from his earlier workout had frozen into a stiff, brittle sheet against his skin.
The lawn, hedges, and fence were coated in icicles now.
His eyes lit up. The power rushing through him felt unreal. He had done this. Him.
After settling his excitement, he smiled Casey then headed back towards the door. The faint crackling of frozen fabric did not bother him in the least.
He held his sword tightly, and turned to close the door, but froze.
A blurry figure stood off in the frosty wind. They stared at each other for couple seconds before it slowly faded away. He shook his head.
Probably just some irregularity from casting a new spell. He thought.
He'd ask his father to be sure.
Their kitchen exited into the backyard. His father stood at the stove. He was cooking, while singing a church song. Casey didn't recognize it, but it had a upbeat, lively, vibe. It 'd make old people feel young. Or at least act it. Most people would never believe he could be like this.
Casey shook his head, and smiled. His dad was a corn ball.
The scent of sausages and eggs stuffed the room. He became aware that he hadn't eaten since the afternoon. He swallowed, and addressed the problem.
"Dad, come look at the fence. I made it freeze over, but then I saw..."
"Case, you should go take a bath first. Breakfast will be here when you're done."
"Alright then, dad."
He went to his room, and handled the routine quickly. Casey returned in red denim shirt, yellow pants, and a light brown pair of boots.
"Case, first thing's first, you didn't do bad at all." His dad sat at the table with a very full plate in front of him. "Light blue at eighteen? That's amazing."
He looked similar to yesterday; a pink dress shirt, black pants, leather shoes, and still handsome. The only real differences between their faces were a few wrinkles and a salt-and-pepper beard. But those probably added character. Casey preferred to have too much character.
"I feel like I could try more spells, dad." Casey said, holding up his hands. "Like controlling heat and stuff… but honestly? I'm kind of scared to try it."
"If you tried fire right now, you'd probably burn yourself. After a breakthrough, you shouldn't cast too soon. The composite mana needs time to refill. The nodes progress faster, but the body has to catch up to it."
"I see… makes sense." He paused. "You probably should've told me that earlier too."
"You're not stupid enough to use fire, Case."
"Yeah, but I like surprising people."
His dad snorted. "Anyway, come to church with me tomorrow? Over the next few weeks we're covering the basics. And you need to get back in there, so you don't end up like some of these idiots wandering around lost."
"Tomorrow? You already took my whole day with the servicing thing today."
"If you come, I might give you a car."
"A car just for church? Yeah… you're definitely hiding something. Can I come next week?"
Casey slowed his eating. The earlier incident scratched at the back of his mind again.
"Dad… have you ever seen a figure after making a breakthrough?"
His father stopped eating. "What?"
Casey stopped too, and thought about it for a second. It was strange to say. "I guess a ghost?"
"Yeah. When I first reached dark purple at twenty-four. Spirits usually watch someone they think might be dangerous. But seeing one at blue. You did that?"
"Yeah. It stood at the fence, watching me."
His father frowned. "That's not good at all. I might need to make some calls. But if it was blurry, it's probably a weak one."
He pulled out his phone immediately.
"Darold, I'm coming over. We may have a problem." He paced outside while talking.
When he returned, he handed Casey a silver pendant etched with words Casey could not read.
"That'll cover you. The watch should've been enough, but this will help until light purple."
'Light purple? I can't wait.'
They finished eating, and Casey left home. His dad didn't seem overly worried, so Casey decided to trust in him.
............
By the time the mechanic finished everything, a quiet purple sky had settled them in.
Casey paid him, and drove toward the eastern end of Old Providence.
His thoughts still lingered on the morning, especially the weight of the pendant pressing on his chest.
With a sigh, he turned on the truck's radio.
Lawns, quarry patches, bushes, sometimes all three at them, slid past him.
Houses varied along the road. Some were old. Some were patched up. There were others, new but cheaply built.
No kids were outside now. The air felt moist, cool, and smelt very fishy. People in the west liked being outdoors more. Groups of them gathered near bars, under trees, beneath streetlights; playing loud domino games, having arguments, laughter, drinking, or smoking — all blending into one restless noise.
Casey parked across from the purple-and-white restaurant High Tide. A small dark overhang sheltered the outdoor section.
Behind the quarry lot sat a large pond. A nearby ramp let boaters launch into it — the water eventually connected to the ocean somewhere in the distance.
Rico had texted earlier. And said that they needed to talk. He wouldn't explain why. That meant it was kinda important.
Apartments surrounded the restaurant. Bimini's strict building codes required concrete and block near the shore, in case of storms. Three-story buildings lined the coast, railings rusted from the salty air. Mostly brown or white, because those were easier to redo.
Pole lights illuminated a nearby basketball court, where music was blasting. A huge crowd was cheering over there.
Casey looked for a while but refocused on the journey to the restaurant.
After checking both directions, he crossed the street and climbed the stairs.
Inside, the space was wide open with tough outdoor white tiles. There were fans that spun quickly on the walls. Casey made it through the crowd and ordered something to eat. He wouldn't miss dinner tice in one week.
He sat and messaged Rico.
Not long after, a lazy-looking guy walked in. He wore a white T-shirt, fitted ripped jeans, and red sneakers.
The guy was the same age as Casey. Rico had grown a really nice beard. He walked over and pulled Casey into a hug.