The Perfect Knight and the Illusionist (BL)

LEO

"I don’t understand, Isabelle," I said to her, feeling equally nervous and confused.

"At the moment, it’s just a conjecture, but there’s a way to confirm it," she said.

"What is a... conjengture...?"

"It’s a conclusion I formed without complete information. But we can test it out and see if my guess is right."

"What do you need to do? Or, like, why do we even need to ’test’ anything? I don’t like tests..."

"Because it’s very important for you, Leo."

Isabelle sounded too serious for me to ignore or think that she was joking. I didn’t know how this could be important to me, but she sounded really concerned about me.

Was something... wrong with me?

I didn’t want things to be wrong with me.

"Okay, let’s... test it, then," I said, not knowing what she was going to do.

"Can you make a small fireball?" she asked me.

It was all so sudden.

"I’m not very good at it," I said, shrinking.

She looked around as if to make sure there was no one around.

"You did it during our magic demonstration. You can do it, Leo." I could feel her faith in me.

I didn’t want to let her down.

I closed my eyes and concentrated.

I’m a dual magic user who can use fire and water magic. Let’s conjure up a fireball—wait, Isabelle just told me I’m not a dual magic user. Or am I...?

How did I make water and fireballs if I wasn’t a dual magic user?

I knew I could make them, but I didn’t know how—especially not now when I was put on the spot like this.

"Leo, take it easy. Just do it like how you did it the last time," Isabelle said in a calm voice.

I concentrated again.

A fireball. A fireball like how Isabelle made it. A fireball like how everyone else made it. I’d seen loads of those. I could do it too. I had done it before. I could picture it in my mind, but—

I wasn’t feeling it.

"I can’t do it, Isabelle," I said, feeling so sorry that I’d let her down.

"Try again. Try your best. You can do it." I could sense that her patience was starting to run out a little. I was getting nervous.

I couldn’t even do the most basic magic when I needed to. That one time at the camp, even when I succeeded, my fire couldn’t light the firewood.

I was really no good at this.

"Do it, Leo," Isabelle said firmly.

I didn’t like it.

I didn’t like how Thomas was talking to me earlier.

I didn’t like how Isabelle was trying to push me now.

"Come on, Leo," Isabelle said again, her voice more urgent.

Then I snapped.

"I CAN’T DO IT!"

Then I heard a big whoosh. I immediately opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Isabelle’s face, her eyes and mouth wide open.

"Oh my God, Leo—"

Then I followed her gaze. She was looking at my right hand, stretched out to one side.

"What the heck is going on...?"

I said, not quite believing it myself either.

Above my right palm, a fireball no smaller than my entire body was floating, burning furiously.

Then, to my horror, Isabelle put her hand into the flame.

"Isabelle, don’t!"

We both went quiet.

Isabelle’s hand was fully inside the raging fire, but she wasn’t in pain. She moved her hand around—up and down, left and right, turning it—and murmured,

"It’s not hot..."

Then I felt like something snapped in my head—a short but sharp pain.

The fireball immediately disappeared.

"Are you okay, Leo?!"

she asked as I let out a groan.

"I... I’m okay," I said as the pain subsided.

There was only silence between us. I was feeling uncomfortable, but my curiosity was stronger.

"What does this mean?" I asked her.

"I don’t really know either," she said, sighing.

"But it was YOU who said we were going to test something!"

"All I can say is... that this seems consistent with what I read in the book."

"I didn’t see anything about something like this," I said.

"Because you haven’t really read the book like I told you to," Isabelle said with a little pout.

"Sorry."

"Sigh... never mind. Where is the book now?" she asked.

"I left it in my special room... I think."

"We have to get it back."

"I put it next to the bed, I think. I guess I could get it. But I haven’t been to that room since."

"I should have read more about it, or found other books about the same topic. Dang it," Isabelle said with clear frustration in her voice.

"Please tell me what you know for now."

"Right, here’s the thing..." Isabelle said, her eyes cast downward and moving from side to side, as if she was reading off something that wasn’t there. "I don’t remember the entire thing, but these verses stuck with me.

"There is fire magic that doesn’t burn

Water magic that doesn’t wet

Incomprehensible dreams take turns

Dreams so vivid that you can’t forget

"It’s a forbidden magic

Its users’ fate often tragic

They dwell in the South

Only known through word of mouth

"I dare not write its name

This cowardice is my shame

But this at least I know

I couldn’t believe everything I saw."

Something about these verses made me shiver.

I felt cold. Very cold.

And I was scared. For what, I didn’t know, but my heart was filled with fear.

My fire didn’t burn.

It was forbidden.

It was tragic.

I was scared.

"Isabelle... did you talk about this to anyone? Does Thomas know this?" I asked.

"He doesn’t know anything about this. He just has his... doubts about that gentleman."

"I need to talk to him about this, Isabelle. He’s the only one who’d understand and help. If anybody could," I said.

"Oh God, no. Anyone but him—please."

"Why not? What do you guys have against him?"

Although I wasn’t happy, this time I wasn’t angry.

"Just go get the book. We will figure it out ourselves."

"I’m sure he can help. He’s been kind to me, and he can solve anything." I wanted to stand my ground.

"Please, Leo. Just for a while. Don’t tell anyone about this—not even Marius."

"What’s wrong with Marius again?"

"Please."

Her eyes, firmly fixed on mine, were honest and sincere.

I simply couldn’t say no.

"Okay."

I felt the weight of our pendant around my neck.

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