Matizu Writes
patreon
StLQ Chapter 23 - Speck of Weak Light
🕑 Added 2025-08-22 01:00:05 +0000 UTCA metallic crash echoed loudly from Luna’s left.
The room filled up with active mana—a similar feeling to a powerful mage casting a spell at full power. The feeling was even stronger than when the headmaster himself showcased his magic.
Luna’s eyes scanned the room wildly as Mother searched for whoever had cast it. The feeling of mana clearly came from Luna’s left, yet her vision was blurry as Mother struggled to find what she was looking for.
What’s going on, what’s going on, what’s going on!? Kai, what’s your plan! What’s your plan!?
Her eyes eventually landed on a man standing by a row of lockers. One of the lockers was open, as if he’d just burst out from inside. Seeing him, a wave of surprise and panic radiated from Mother’s consciousness. The needle in Luna’s head flickered wildly.
The old man wore a grand magely robe, brown and blue, and clearly expensive. A shiny blue orb stood atop his staff like a second head, the size of a football. His face had a few wrinkles and his hair was gray, but his posture was spry, no signs of age in his movements.
Mother seemed to recognize him. Luna, too, noted the insignias and symbols on his robe, as well as the white tattoo on his left cheek: a fireball blooming from a flower bud. The emblem of the Mages’ Association. Only high-ranking officials had such a tattoo directly on their face.
What is going on?! Luna yelled in her head.
The mage spoke in a loud echoing voice. “Headmaster Zettel Donovan! Magdalene Quine! Reveal yourselves! You are under arrest!”
His calm steps continued toward the platform. Luna was awed, until she remembered that she was currently in disguise, mind controlled, and about to commit one of the worst crimes she could imagine: to fill up a school with necromantic smoke. Her head blanked.
I need to fight! Luna thought, looking into the bubble. I need to stop Mother!
Mother’s needle cast a shadow over every single one of Luna’s memories. Mother’s presence was massive. She was the true owner of Luna’s head.
The mage didn’t seem to know Luna was being mind controlled. He stepped toward her. “Do I need to repeat myself?” he asked.
“Stay away,” a new, calm but angry voice said, “from the cauldron.”
Luna’s head flinched in the direction. Headmaster Zettel Donovan pointed his dragontail staff at the association’s mage. A hateful expression formed on his face. The one he usually wore during Luna’s studies, but even worse.
The association’s mage stopped. Faced with each other, Luna struggled to gauge which mage was stronger. The headmaster was impossibly powerful. But his opponent had the association’s symbol tattooed on his face. The mage was bound to be just as strong.
The association’s mage didn’t look alarmed, nor was he smiling. He looked rather disappointed. “Your plans have been bested, Donovan, old friend. Stop this madness.”
Donovan’s brows furrowed. Luna shared the confusion. What plan, what’s been bested!
“That cauldron is filled with lichstone shards, Almir,” Donovan explained. “A surge of mana is all it takes for the shards to blow up, and for us all to turn to liches.”
Almir faced the headmaster with a stoic face, not the slightest bit concerned. He stood calmly, expression that of a teacher silently looking down on a misbehaving student. “Magdalene Quine, you may show yourself as well.”
The needle in Luna’s head flickered. Mother’s influence lessened ever so slightly. Simultaneously, Luna heard Mother’s panicked voice. She heard it through her ears; Mother was actually speaking.
“Help me, Donovan, useless mage!” Mother’s stumbling figure burst through World Tree’s front doors. Her steps were clumsy with half of her consciousness divided to Luna. She headed to Donovan and stopped there, as if hoping the headmaster would protect her.
Following her was another official of the mages association. The middle aged man had no tattoo, but his robe was exquisite, noble-like, and his staff must have cost more than Luna’s entire tuition. The mage followed Mother with calm steps.
Is this your plan, Kai? Luna thought. Mother and Donovan looked cornered, stuck between two powerful mages.
But what about the cauldron! Luna thought. It’s still simmering!
Almir didn’t seem the slightest bit concerned about the necromantic smoke. “Zettel Donovan and Madgalene Quine, and an acquaintance—though mind controlled—Luna Quine. You plan on erupting a cauldron full of lichstone shards and lifeblood, transforming Luna, as well as students above, into liches. Is this correct?”
Donovan’s expression was of pure hatred. “In case you haven’t noticed, the cauldron is still brewing, and an explosion is imminent.”
“I take that as a fine confession,” Almir said. “Drop your staff, and retract mind control. You are under arrest.”
A loud crackle came from the cauldron to Luna’s left. She breathed in some of the humid, sweet smoke. Luna’s heart began racing. Why wasn’t Almir doing anything! The cauldron would explode!
“Are you crazy?” Mother shouted at Almir. “The school is going to blow up!”
“Do not make this any more complicated than it needs to be,” Almir said. “Drop your spells.”
Donovan and Almir stared at each other—one with deep anger, the other barely inconvenienced, as if this was merely another day at work.
Then the spells began pouring in.
Donovan’s staff shone for a fraction of a second, magic forming within. A discharge of rogue mana shot from Donovan’s staff, as if a pressurized water hose of deadly magic had been burst open.
The spell connected with Almir’s staff, which had turned into a gigantic shield. Donovan’s spell was burst to the side.
I need to do something! Luna thought. She had to free herself from Mother, now!
Luna reached into her bubble, gritting her teeth. Her presence was shadowed by Mother’s gigantic needle. In comparison, Luna’s consciousness was a tiny speck, like a poor insect trying to survive in a fire. How was Luna supposed to do anything at all? Mother had years of experience as a mind mage.
“Luna!” Mother shouted, hiding behind Donovan. “Channel mana for me!”
Luna froze in place, hearing Mother’s command.
Mother ducked to the ground as the headmaster cast a spell to protect her. Shield Globe—a simple but powerful defensive spell. A thick see-through dome spawned around Mother, protecting her from incoming attacks. Spells were flying around them violently as Donovan and Almir fought.
“Luna, you idiot, channel mana!” Mother shouted.
When Luna didn’t, the needle in her head blinked brightly. Mother shifted her full attention to mind control. Luna’s hand lifted, fingers spread wide, as if preparing to shoot out mana. Mother took control, and despite being a beginner at casting magic, Mother channeled mana from Luna’s core.
No! Luna shouted in her head. Mana moved from her core, sloppily but steadily, up to her hands. Mother planned to blow up the cauldron.
Luna’s heart was beating out of her chest, deadly afraid. Her tiny consciousness in the bubble was shadowed underneath Mother’s overwhelming control. Even now, Luna felt like she should comply, to be a good daughter, to do exactly as Mother asked.
She breathed in more smoke from the cauldron. It smelled strangely sweet. Like lollipops.
I have to do something. I need to.
I need to fight back!
Luna focused all of her willpower onto the little speck within her consciousness. She gave it all the power she had. Her speck of light received her determination. It grew in size.
It was still weak, like a lone lamplight in winter. But the speck was Luna’s. And this was her mind.
Attack! Luna thought, throwing her speck at Mother’s needle. She lashed out, threw a fit, turning her consciousness into utter chaos of panic.
Mother’s eyes opened wide. “Luna, what are you doing!”
Luna threw every bit of willpower she had at Mother’s oppressive presence. She felt like she was punching the clouds, yet somehow, Luna was causing damage. Her squabbles grew more powerful, reaching higher and higher.
“Luna!” Mother shouted.
The mana in her veins stopped being channeled, lingering dangerously in her veins. Just as Johannes had said, Mother couldn’t focus on defence and control both at once. Slowly, Luna could move again.
“Lunaaaa!” Mother growled.
Suddenly, Mother’s needle swung down with force, crushing Luna’s presence to the ground.
Luna flinched from the sheer pressure. In an instant, Mother utterly destroyed her attempt at fighting back. The needle grew, Mother’s presence overwhelming Luna’s consciousness once again.
With that, Mother regained control. She resumed channeling the mana within her veins. Slowly, the mana flowed from her chest to her hand, toward the cauldron.
Mana reached her fingers, and Mother focused fully on forming a spell.
Luna screamed in her head. Her presence was crushed. She was a tiny speck underneath a gigantic sun. Mother had practiced for decades. Luna had for less than a day. How was she supposed to do this?
“Your mother is not omnipotent.” Kai’s words. “She is a powerful mage. But she does not control you.”
Luna focused all of her efforts into reaching for her memories. She recalled every night spent in the cold bathroom, every scolding received for being inadequate, each and every time Mother called her worthless.
And she reached for her memory of sleeping in a bed. The memories of walking to school in a warm red jacket. The memory of eating pancakes, tasting lollipops, playing with Kai’s sister, and the impenetrable reassurance always glued to Kai’s face. She hugged them tight. With each memory, Luna’s speck grew, growing wings, and a fiery sword.
She attacked Mother’s needle with everything she had.
Mother’s eyes opened wide. “Luna, what do you think you are doing?”
Luna’s presence lashed out at mother’s needle like a warrior from a story cutting down a giant. She slashed with her sword, cutting at the needle.
“Stop!” Mother shouted. “Luna, stop, now!”
Luna barely listened. Mother’s needle had holes in it now. The presence was slipping.
“LUNA!” Mother bellowed. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life in the bathroom? Stop, now! STOP!”
Control was returning to Luna’s limbs. But she wasn’t done. She focused on her consciousness.
“This—” Luna yelled out loud with all the power her voice had, while her speck lifted the fiery blade up high. “—is my head!”
She cast down the fiery blade, cutting down Mother’s presence. The needle snapped in half.
“And you—” Luna redirected her hand away from the cauldron, pointing the channeling mana at Mother. She took control of the sloppily channeled mana stuck in her hands. She reformed it with actual practice, shaping a discharge. “—don’t belong here!”
She released the spell at Mother.
The discharge shot forth, colliding with the globe around Mother. Cracks formed. Another crack followed, then the next. The shield shattered.
Mother was left helpless on her back. On her face, horror showed first. Then came rage, directed up the platform. “Luna, what do you think you’re doing! Channel mana into the cauldron now!”
Luna said nothing, merely looked down at her pathetic mother.
The fighting around them had calmed down. The World Tree was a mess of scorched walls from destructive spells. Amidst it all, Donovan’s body lay unconscious beneath Almir’s staff. It seemed the situation had calmed down.
Mother lifted her fingers, glowing purple. The needle attempted to pierce Luna’s head. It bounced off weakly. Mother couldn’t read her thoughts anymore. Not with a layer of mana protecting Luna’s consciousness.
When her mother realized mind control wouldn’t work, she continued screaming in a wild panic. “Do you want to be locked up in the bathroom for eternity! You have trained your whole life for this! You can’t throw it all away now!”
Yes, Mother, I have trained my whole life for this, Luna thought. She turned away. To be rid of you.
Her mother screamed, struggled, writhed in fury, while the association’s mages dragged her away.
Author note:
Next chapter on Monday
