In my short years on this Earth, I have been taught more wrong than good, more evil than benevolence. We humans are the architects of our own tragedies, a truth I only came to understand through the hand God dealt me.
I used to ask myself, Why me? Why should I be the one to face such a terrible future? But deep down, I already knew the answer. Soon, you will, too.
I am Silver Archive. I'm fourteen, and today is my first day of high school. Technically, I'm still asleep; these are just thoughts floating and fading in the dark. Don't mistake this for a story told from the safety of the future. This is happening now, in the present, through the mind of the third-in-line to the nearly extinct Archive Clan.
That morning was the beginning of the end.
The Abyss
In my dream, the world was at peace. I lay beneath a sprawling tree that shielded my eyes from the sun's blaze. The grass was manicured, perfect—not even the hum of an insect disrupted my rest. I smiled, letting the warmth soak in. Iwish every day was like this
Then, the world went quiet.
It wasn't the peaceful kind of silence. It was a vacuum—an abyss that felt ready to swallow me whole. Chills raced down my spine. Terror locked my jaw, stealing the air from my lungs before I could scream. As I scrambled to sit up, the landscape vanished.
I gasped, braced for a fall, but there was no floor and no ceiling. I was suspended in a void of infinite blackness. No trees. No grass. No sky. Even the oxygen felt thin, as if the atmosphere itself had been erased.
Am I awake… or am I still dreaming?
Something drifted in the corner of my eye. I tried to turn my head, but my body froze, paralyzed by an invisible weight. A shape hovered in the dark, its form obscured by shadows that seemed to bleed into the void. Then, it spoke—a low, resonant vibration that rattled my bones.
"You there… you are the one I shall choose as my vessel. For you will embody my Arcana."
"You're an Arcana, aren't you?" I managed to reply. "Which means my normal life is over."You're an Arcana, aren't you?" I managed to reply. "Which means my normal life is over."
"Indeed. I see you are quick on the uptake, Silver. Your mundane life ends today because I have ended it. You will serve a greater purpose, and I shall grant you my power."
"I see." I've known about the Arcana for years. I've spent my life waiting for this shadow to fall. "I am prepared. What is your name?"
The entity leaned forward, the darkness rippling. "I am Arcana Number Thirteen. I am D—"
The Memory of Exile
I screamed as the void gave way, and I began falling.
In that moment of weightlessness, a memory flashed: my father, four years ago, when I was only ten. That was the year the Japanese government threw us away.
Until then, Japan was the only home I knew. But the order had been absolute: any mage capable of "personifying" their Arcana—regardless of age or health—was a tool of the state. Weapons to be pointed at anyone Japan deemed a threat.
My parents couldn't stand it. They were top-tier mages, but when they tried to reason with the ministers, the government answered with a "kill on sight" order. I remember eavesdropping at their bedroom door, expecting the fire of their anger. Instead, I heard them breaking.
"Why won't they just listen?" my father had sobbed. "I don't want to hurt anyone. Why can't we just live in peace?"
"We tried," my mother whispered, the sound of her wiping his tears audible through the wood. "Now we have to leave before things get worse. Move forward, Gin. Just keep moving forward.
We fled to Orlando, Florida, before the next sunrise. None of us argued. We left our lives behind and never looked back.
I snapped awake, staring at the ceiling as my lungs burned for air. My palms were slick with sweat, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. Then, the alarm cut through the silence.
"Oh, shit—school!"
I scrambled out of bed and flew downstairs. The scent of breakfast hit me first, followed by the sight of my parents. Gin and Jetta were in the kitchen, acting like lovestucky teenagers despite being nearly forty.
"Good morning, everyone," I said, sliding into my seat.
"Great! How about you, Silver?" they chirped in perfect sync.
"I'm fine, but it seems you two are the same as always," I laughed. They were good people—the best—but the weight of the Archive name still sat heavy on my shoulders. I didn't want to be the "false prodigy" of the family.
My siblings felt the pressure, too. My sister, Maki, was already the Student Council President. My older brother, Genesis, was currently undercover at the National Academy of Magi in Tokyo under the name "Gen Itsuki." Being exiled meant he had to live a lie—a luxury our famous parents didn't have.
I shoveled my breakfast down. "Has Maki left already?"
"You just missed her," Gin said.
I bolted out the door, catching her a few blocks away. "Yo, Maki! Wait up!"
She turned, a sharp grin crossing her face. "I didn't expect you to actually wake up on time."
"Wow, your faith in me is inspiring," I pouted.
"I'm as serious as I've ever been," she chuckled. As we reached the school gates, she reached over and patted my head. "I have to head to the Council room. I'm going to make this last year go out with a bang."
"I hope you make it happen, I guess," I muttered, trying to fix my hair.
She walked away, laughing at my annoyed expression. Suddenly, a pair of arms and wrapped around me from behind, squeezing the air out of me.
"Why are you hugging me? Who is—" I yelped, twisting around. "Oh. It's you, Izame."
"You don't sound too happy to see me!" Izame pouted, though her eyes were dancing.
"I'm not," I teased.
"Wow, blunt as ever!" She laughed, hooking her hand unto my shirt and dragging me toward the heavy school doors. "Come on, funny guy. We're getting to class before the bell catches us!"