A Necromancer's Love Story

I had always dabbled in dark magic, always a curiosity within me. It was banned, of course, too many possibilities of absolute chaos. I hadn’t truly practiced until I met Ravyn. His dark curly hair, green eyes could pierce your soul. His smile was what hooked me though, plush lips that always stretched to the side like he was doing something he shouldn’t. I found later on that was usually the case.

We had fun, especially in the beginning. Stealing potions from class that made you see in rainbows, or that made you float a few feet off the ground. Ravyn was clever, he would secretly make extra potions after class and got away with it because all the teachers seemed to love him. We were inseparable from the moment we met, almost a year of pure bliss before he was taken from me. It was labeled as an accident, he and a fellow student were fooling around with spells they shouldn’t have been.

There was a spot we always went to together, hidden in the trees just off-campus. There was a large rock we would use as either a bench to sit on, or in the winter lean our heads against as we cuddled under a fur blanket, angled just perfectly at a break in the trees where the moon showed perfectly, shining her light onto us. Ravyn’s eyes would glimmer bright, long lashes curled up almost to touch his eyebrows, dark curls spilling onto his forehead as he would lean in to kiss me. Salty tears sting my eyes when I remember. I shake my head from the memory and focus on the task at hand.

I was cross-legged on the cold stone floor, in front of me papers were strewn about, smudged with messy black ink shaped into various incantations. I wiped the sweat from my brow and pushed my copper hair out of my face.

“You can do this,” I whispered aloud to encourage myself.

It was illegal, what I was doing, I couldn’t tell a soul. I spent a lot of time alone in my locked room, I knew it had been a while because my friends stopped bothering to see me. I didn’t much care, I had to focus. If I screwed this up, it could mean several things; I go to jail, get expelled, maybe even die, or all of the above. I sighed and checked my calendar, intricate golden moons engraved into smoky quartz, the moons shifted at my gaze, only three more days until the full moon. I could try then, or wait thirty days for the next full moon. But, his body was probably starting to deteriorate, even with the preservation spells. I made up my mind, I wanted him to be as close to himself as he was, this was the time.

Raising the dead wasn’t a walk in the park, it was a sort of mix of alchemy and dark magic, extremely tedious and dangerous. I didn’t care though, I would risk it all to bring Ravyn back to me. I knew deep in my heart, he would have done the same for me.

“Elenya,” my name always sounded so sweet rolling off his tongue “you’re my best friend, I’ll love you for the rest of my days.” I could practically hear his voice, feels his calloused hand against my cheek.

If only we had known the rest of his days weren’t long at all. I missed him, so much it hurt to breathe. That’s why I was so focused, I could barely sleep anyway, so I spent every waking moment studying and perfecting the spell.

For the next three days, I cross-checked every part of my spell countless times and made sure I had all the proper items fresh and ready. The hour approached, as I glanced out the window the sun was low to the ground, smearing the sky with deep purples and oranges. My stomach was in knots, I was sweating beads, and couldn’t recall when I last slept, but I was ready. I grabbed my large leather satchel and began to gently place each spell item into my bag, followed by the spell notes, and finally my wand. I let the wand linger in my hand for a moment, a deep brown wood intricately carved with various runes and shapes of leaves. It had been in my family for ages, free from the taint of dark magic, until tonight. I dropped the wand into my bag, tightened the straps closed, and hauled it over my shoulder. I took one last look around my room, especially the photos on my nightstand, a family photo with my brother and parents, and a photo of Ravyn and me in a loving embrace.

“You’ll be with me again soon,” I whispered as I turned and left.

...

I made my way to where Ravyn was buried. It was dark, and the moon was high, full in all her glory. My boots crunched the cold ground, and my breath escaped in clouds. My heart thudded in my chest, I could feel my blood rushing through me as a mixture of anxiousness and excitement took over. The light of the full moon warmed my face, as if in comfort that I would succeed.

Ravyn was buried alongside his ancestors, such is customary, as were the preservation spells. I finally came to the spot where he was, a large and exquisitely decorated marble headstone that read “Here lies Ravyn, exceptional wizard and far more exceptional son.” I reached my hand to touch the earth above his body and closed my eyes. With a simple transparency spell, I could see him, my eyes instantly leaked and the tears plopped softly into the earth, he looked peaceful as if he was only in a deep slumber, not dead. The preservation spell was still intact, he was untouched by the rotting of death, I hadn’t waited too long. I released the breath I was holding, and my lips trembled with grief, but at least he would look the same.

To begin I placed six red candles in the soil above Ravyn, each one equal space apart creating a pointed circle. I pulled out my wand and tapped the tip of the ancient wood with my palm, it ignited with an onyx flame, I brought it to my hand and sliced along my palm. I winced against the pain and watched as my blood was drawn slowly from the wound and absorbed into the tip of the wand, like ink to a quill, and the flame slowly transformed into a deep crimson. Using my wand I began to etch the various runes into the earth, just below its assigned candle. Once I completed all six they burst into flames in unison, and after a few breaths settled to a pulsing crimson. Next, I set out the fresh heart, a jar of sulfur, and blood of one he loved; mine of course. I hesitated a moment, this was dangerous. I knew that, and I knew no matter the outcome our lives would never be the same, but I couldn’t face a life without Ravyn in it.

I inhaled the crisp air deeply, and on the exhale I confidently recited the words of the spell.

Anima quae perierat inveniatur et ligata in suum corpus redeat

Suddenly the ground shook, the candles began to topple over, and the earth began to crack. I quickly stood up and backed away, and watched as the soil caved into itself where Ravyn was buried. An intense rush of wind carried an ear-piercing screech that surrounded me, lifting my hair and causing my skin to erupt in goosebumps. Before I could cover my ears from the sound it flew away from me and dove into the hole in the earth.

A few agonizing moments later Ravyn’s body began to float above the ground, his limbs dangling lifelessly. My breath caught in my throat, and my palms were sweating uncontrollably as I watched what was unfolding before me. He lay floating there for a moment until a glowing red light erupted from his eyes, then his mouth stretched open to inhuman proportions as the blood-red glow grew ever brighter, it seemed to radiate from every orifice I could see. The wind whipped louder and grew into a symphony of screeches and rustling leaves until it came to a sudden halt. The silence made me feel uneasy, but I stood my ground.

“Ravyn?” I spoke gently

His head immediately cocked to face me, red glowing eyes locking with my own. It sent shivers down my spine, but maybe this is what was needed for him to come to.

Ravyn’s body slowly turned upright, and his feet softly made contact with the earth. The energy dissipated like a red mist leaving his body, and soon his green eyes were there again. I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck, pulling him close. He was warm, and his chest against mine felt like I was home again. I began to weep, and with tears in my eyes looked up at him. He slowly looked down at me and our eyes met.

“Ravyn..” I whispered

“E… El…” he croaked, clearly it would take some time to get his voice back.

“Yes!” I exclaimed, “I’m here Ravyn, I’ll always be here.” More tears escaped my eyes, but finally, they weren’t from grief.

“Elenya!” A voice boomed, but it wasn’t Ravyn.

I quickly turned around my body in front of Ravyn in a protective stance. It was the headmaster of our school. His large brows were drawn together in a mix of fury and disappointment.

“We had a suspicion you would attempt this, missing class, becoming a recluse, but I never thought…” he trailed off, his voice softening to concern.

“That I would succeed?” I responded proudly

“Elenya, you don’t fully understand what you have done, or the consequences that will follow. But we can help.” he continued as he waved his arms for the other professors here to show themselves.

Many illuminated wands came into view as all of my professors came forward and fell into place beside the headmaster.

I began to panic, I didn’t care if I was in trouble, I couldn’t let them take Ravyn.

“I won’t let you hurt him,” I stated with an edge of poison in my voice, as I raised my wand ready for battle.

...

“Elenya…” the headmaster spoke with his hands up defensively. “…we don’t want to hurt you. We want to help you.”

“Liar!” my voice shook with anger.

They had been watching me, keeping tabs on me? Why would they let me complete the spell then? To see if I could do it…

…or to make me relive the agony of losing Ravyn again?

My thoughts began to spin the angrier I got. I could feel Ravyn shuffling behind me, I turned to face him and reassuringly placed my hand on his chest.

“It’s okay Ravyn, I won’t let them hurt you.” I looked up into his green eyes, soft dark eyelashes gently moving down as his eyes softened.

A tear slid down my cheek, the salt stinging my flesh, but I paid no mind. The look of trust on Ravyn’s face brought me all the comfort I needed.

I turned to face the headmaster, the blood rushing through my body like a flaming river.

“Just let us leave, and I won’t ever return to the academy,” I stated coldly, I would try to reason with them to keep anyone from getting hurt, but I knew I had to act quickly if something went awry.

“You know I can’t do that, Elenya,” the headmaster spoke gently. “Simply let us fix your mistake and we will help you get your academic standings in order.”

“Academic standings? None of that matters!” I shouted

The headmaster dared a step closer, followed by another.

“You are clouded my dear, by a young love that will not last, please don’t destroy your life over it.”

“How dare you. I think, headmaster, that you are frightened of me.” I spat back at him

Another step closer. I couldn’t let him get any further, he was wise no doubt, and capable from a far distance.

He chuckled at me. “Afraid of you? Oh no…” He trailed off and took another step towards us.

Maybe he underestimated me, but no longer.

Fractura anima! I roared as I flung my arm outward, pointing my wand at the headmaster.

The wand erupted with a deep violet pulse of energy, its glow burning brighter as it surged from my wand and hit the headmaster in the chest. His eyes grew wide with horror, his chest igniting with violet flames. He looked up at me for a brief moment, but his gaze made it feel like an eternity. His eyes felt as if they were piercing through my soul, filling my dread. His expression read fear, pain, and betrayal. His gaze was ripped away when his body contorted into itself until the violet glowing energy engulfed him, it gave one last pulse and dispersed into nothing.

“Raising the dead wasn’t the only dark magic I practiced,” I hissed at the remaining professors.

They all gazed at me in terror, jaws hanging open, and started backing away. I stood my ground, feet firmly planted in the dirt, my body in front of Ravyn. I didn’t dare tear my gaze away until long after they disappeared.

“Let’s go,” I turned to Ravyn, grabbing his hand with my own. Instinctively our fingers locked, and I looked up at him with a smile. He met my eyes and pulled his lips to one side, and my chest swelled with happiness, with love.

I didn’t know where we were going, but I was with Ravyn, that was all that mattered.

...

What did you think of the ending? Would you try to bring someone you loved back from the dead? Let us know in the comments!

Thanks so much for reading!

-Clever & WTF