Finding Magyk

What do we live for? What is our purpose? Do our souls exist for some ultimate goal, or are we just aimlessly roaming this world and others? These are the biggest questions society has thrown at us, and still the biggest ones unanswered. But one thing we do know is that we can't do it alone. Nobody can live without the aid of at least one significant other.
Me? I didn't have that. Sixteen years of being alone, in the dark. You kind of get used to it, but it's always there, silently tearing at the fabric of your sanity. I was on the brink of breaking. Then I found an ulterior motive, and came here. Now? Let's just say I have a chance.
Will you be my support, my life? Will you be mine...?

I find a quiet spot behind the gym, a short brick wall making an ideal place to sit down without sitting on the floor. I grimace as I take my bag off, careful not to jolt my shoulder. I hang my head in my good hand, and sigh raggedly. Everything hurts. My breath comes in short, sharp intakes, and shaky exhalations. I'm bruised all down my back, chest and limbs, and my left shoulder still aches horribly. I'd used magyk to numb most of the pain, but it wore off over the course of the day.

I check to make sure nobody's around, then murmur a spell to reduce the pain in my shoulder. Once I did that, I just stared at the palm of my right hand, a small cut running straight across the middle of it. I narrow my eyes sadly, thinking back over the vivid memories of my last run-in with my brother.

I'm lapsed in thought until the bell rings, jolting me from my stupor. I scowl as I realize I have sport next, wondering how I'm going to pull it off. It's not like I could get a note from my parents. Hell, I am my parents. I ponder this as I make my way (painfully) down the small flight of stairs to the change rooms, then back up into the gym. I stand awkwardly in the part of the gym my class gets marked in.

My heart sinks as I realise all of our grade that has this line joins classes for sport. I don't make eye contact with Max as she goes to join the other classes. I sit on the bench against the rear wall of the gym, observing the game of Longball with disinterest. I avoid looking at her the whole time, my deep green eyes flicking around nervously, trying to find different things to focus on.

Next up is Math, which is even worse. I mumble a hello as I sit down tentatively next to Max, who gives a quiet reply. Most of the class passes in silence between us, neither of us saying anything, but I catch her giving me confused -suspicious?- looks at random intervals over the course of the period.

Towards the end, she finally breaks the silence. "So what's up?" she asks quietly, closing her book. I glimpse at my watch and see we have only five minutes left. Her question is casual, but I sense meaning behind it.

"What do you mean?" My voice rough and throaty, nothing like its usual flat tone.
"You've been acting weird."
"Yeah, so?"
"So... What's the problem?"
I bite my lip, looking down at my book. It doesn't have as much in it as I would have liked -I've been distracted the whole lesson. "Nothing important. Just... family matters."
She cocks an eyebrow. "Oh? I've been meaning to ask. Do you have a brother by any chance?"

Crap. So he did talk to her. "Yeah."
She nods, looking blankly at the empty space in front of her. "Twin?"
"Yes. Max, what is-"
She shushes me, the flicks her red hair out of her face. "You still haven't told me what's wrong," she presses, unrelenting. I look down at the pen I hold in my hand, twirling it absently.
"I was in a bit of an... accident, alright? Now just..." I sigh, shaking my head, my chest aching from all the speech. "I'm sorry. Relative implications cause a negative effect on me. And my physical being as well, apparently."
She's about to say something else when the bell rings. She gives me a look that says 'this isn't over,' then picks up her bag and storms out. I stare after blankly, then shake my head, picking my bag up.

I'm glad she isn't in my Science class, otherwise I'd be screwed. It passes fairly uneventfully. Take down some notes on cellular structure, and it's over. I'm hasty as I pick my bag up and head out the doors of the building, hoping I can be out of here before she catches up. Turns out I'm out of luck -she calls my name, and I stop, almost on the footpath on the other side of the oval.

"Hey, Max," I murmur, not making eye contact. I'm not sure why I'm so uneasy around her, but it's inevitable.
"Hey." A few moments of silence. "So, how was your last class?"
I shrug, and instantly regret it as pain shoots through my left side. I clench my fist, the knuckles going white, clenching my teeth, but otherwise don't show her any signs of pain. "Average. Are you doing biology as well?"
"Yeah. Easy as," she says, rolling her eyes. More silence passes, her looking thoughtful as we walk -well, she walks, I sort of limp. "You know, you should join in PE more," she says, clearly faking her smile, punching me lightly in the arm. The left one. I accidentally hiss with pain, cringing, then smile weakly at her as I compose myself.

"Let's just say I'm not one for sports," I mutter through clenched teeth. She cocks an eyebrow, scowling at me, but I look away and pretend to ignore it.
Silence falls for a few moments as we walk, the natural sounds of the city and its fauna the only things breaking that lack of words.

"So this twin of yours," Max muses, startling me after the quiet. "He isn't like you, is he?"
I bite my lip, thinking over this carefully. He did say he spoke to her, but just how much does she know? How many lies has he been feeding into her? "We never got along, no."
She nods. "I thought so. What's his name?"
I narrow my eyes. "Dante," I say cautiously.
"Mmkay."
A short moment of silence. "You know him, don't you?"
"I never said that."
"But it's easy enough to figure out. How many times?"
"...Twice." I stop. She stops too, turning to look at me. "What?"
"What has he been telling you?" I whisper, not looking at her but staring straight ahead.
"Nothing."
"What has he been telling you?" I repeat, my eyes flicking to look at hers.
"Just some stuff. Why?"
"What 'stuff', exactly?" I press, ignoring her question.
"Just stuff! Geez. Why's it so important to you anyway?"
I take as deep a breath as I can -which isn't very deep, due to the pain in my chest- and close my eyes, collecting my thoughts and calming myself. I snap my eyes open, staring straight at her. "How much has he told you?"
"I don't-"
"Max, this is important. How much?"
She sighs, looking away. "Well, he told me that he lived with you and your parents in some magykal place, that you-" She pauses. "-That you were his twin, and he doesn't like you very much. That's basically it. How is that important?"

I scowl, knowing she's hiding something from me, but let is pass. For now. "Did he tell you much about magyk?"
She scoffs. "Who cares if he did? It's not real anyway."
"How much?"
Rolling her eyes, she says, "Just that he was born in a realm of magyk or something. It's all just crap anyway -you two are nuts if you believe that it exists."

I think about it, checking the surroundings as I do. I see someone coming down the street. I start walking, Max following -I don't really want them to have any idea. I shove my good hand in the pocket of my deep blue jacket, looking down. Then, looking up at her:
"Have you ever wondered what magyk would look like?"
"Who hasn't? It's something we imagine, so it could look however we want, but everybody seems to think they have it wrong."

I take a raggedly deep, cautious breath.
"What if I showed you?"