Wielding magnetism magic in fairy tail

In the streets of a small, unremarkable city, a crowd had gathered, their attention fixed on the center of the square.

There, a young boy danced gracefully, his movements synchronized with a ring of floating metal knives that weaved through the air in mesmerizing patterns. Purple electricity crackled between the blades and his fingertips, arcing and pulsing in rhythm with his steps. Sparks trailed behind each knife as they curved and spun around him, creating a brilliant display that captivated the audience.

When he finished, the knives snapped back to his belt with a sharp metallic hum. Damien bowed deeply, prompting the onlookers to cheer and toss coins at his feet.

As the crowd began to scatter, Damien knelt down, collecting the coins into a small, worn pouch. His expression barely shifted, remaining neutral as his fingers brushed over the last coin.

It had been several months since the attack.

After escaping to a nearby village with his grandmother, he had managed to contact the Rune Knights. When they arrived to investigate, they found no other survivors.

Just him. And his grandmother.

Damien remembered standing quietly as the Rune Knights combed through the wreckage of his village. His heart had already known the truth, but when they confirmed his grandfather hadn't made it, the weight of reality crashed down on him.

He wasn't even allowed to hear the full details of the investigation. All they could confirm was what he already knew—the attackers were pirates.

Pirates.

The word burned in his mind, circling endlessly like a curse he couldn't shake. After leaving the village, Damien spent weeks asking around, hoping to find someone who knew about the group responsible.

They shouldn't be that hard to recognize, right?

The problem was, they weren't near the sea. Pirates, as he quickly learned, didn't always sail ships or stay near the ocean. Unlike the exaggerated tales he'd seen in his past life's media, many pirate crews operated on land, some never even stepping foot on a ship.

Tracking them was far harder than he had imagined.

I was so naïve, Damien thought bitterly, adjusting the pouch at his waist. His once cheerful demeanor had faded. The carefree boy who used to smile without reason was gone, leaving behind someone whose expressions rarely shifted from neutral—or worse—angry or sad.

His world had been torn apart.

"Damien!"

A voice called out from behind, breaking him from his thoughts.

He turned to see a slightly tanned girl with short brown hair running toward him. She was about his age, maybe a year younger. Damien recognized her immediately—Cana Alberona.

"Cana," he muttered as she stopped in front of him, catching her breath.

The two had met a few months ago at the hospital. After the Rune Knights helped him relocate, Damien brought his injured grandmother there for treatment.

The doctors had managed to stabilize her condition, but the news they gave him still haunted him.

"She's in a coma," they had said, their voices soft with pity. "We've used magic to stabilize her condition, but… she may remain like this for years."

Damien remembered standing silently, unable to speak. His grandfather was gone. His grandmother—the only family he had left—might never wake up.

It felt like he had lost everything all over again.

He had withdrawn into himself, barely speaking to anyone at the hospital. He would sit for hours, staring at the ceiling or the floor, overwhelmed by the weight of his grief.

Until she showed up.

Cana had been the only other child staying in that part of the hospital, a section designated for kids who had nowhere else to go while their family members were being treated.

At first, Damien ignored her. She followed him anyway.

Even when he told her to leave him alone, she would quietly sit nearby, sometimes humming, sometimes talking about things he didn't care to listen to.

It was annoying. But over time… he started to warm up to her.

The last time Damien saw Cana, she had been completely devastated.

Her mother—the one person she had left—had passed away after a long illness. Damien remembered sitting beside her as she quietly wept, unsure of what to say or do. He tried to comfort her, but in the end, his attempts felt clumsy and awkward.

So, he decided to give her some space.

It looked like it worked.

"Oh, hey Cana," Damien said as she approached, her steps light but hesitant. "Something wrong?"

"I want to talk to you for a bit," she replied softly.

"Sure, come with me."

He led her to a bench nearby, the faint hum of the town filling the quiet between them. They sat down, and Damien shifted slightly to face her.

"So… what's going on?" he asked.

Cana fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "I'm going to Magnolia."

Damien blinked. "Wait, what? Why all of a sudden?"

She hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice dropping. "Before she died… my mom told me about my father. She said I should go find him. He's in Magnolia… at a guild called Fairy Tail."

Damien's eyes widened slightly. Fairy Tail… Grandpa's guild.

He leaned back against the bench, absorbing her words. "How are you supposed to get there? Do you have enough money for a train ticket?"

Cana's expression brightened, as if she hadn't just dropped life-changing news. "Nope! I was planning to sneak on board," she said cheerfully.

Damien stared at her in disbelief. "You're joking… right?"

She grinned. "Nope."

He opened his mouth to protest but realized there was no point in arguing. That was just how Cana was—unpredictable, reckless, and somehow always upbeat.

But as crazy as her plan sounded, Damien couldn't help but respect her determination.

"No, you're not doing that," Damien finally said.

Cana's grin faded. "Huh? Why not?"

"Because I'm coming with you—and I'll pay for both of us."

Her eyes widened. "Wait, really? You'd do that?"

He nodded without hesitation. Normally, he wouldn't bother going out of his way like this for anyone. He had spent the last few months keeping his distance from most people.

But Cana was different.

She had been there when he was at his lowest—when his world fell apart. Her constant presence, even if annoying at times, had kept him grounded. She had a way of making him forget, if only for a little while, about the pain that lingered inside him.

"Yeah," Damien said. "I'll help you out."

"Thanks, Damien!" Cana's face lit up with excitement, and she threw her arms around him in a quick hug.

He awkwardly patted her back, unsure how to respond. "It's nothing… really."

Cana pulled away, her smile lingering. "But wait, what about your grandma? Won't she need you here?"

"It's fine," Damien replied. "I can leave for a few days. She's stable, and the doctors are keeping a close eye on her. Magnolia isn't that far—a day or so by train. We can make it there and back pretty quickly."

Cana nodded eagerly. "Alright then! Let's go catch the train!"

The train ride was quiet at first—uncomfortably so.

For the past few months, their dynamic had been simple. Cana talked, Damien listened. She followed him around, and he mostly tolerated it. But now, with nothing but time and no distractions, actual conversation wasn't something Damien could avoid.

At first, it was awkward.

Cana kept trying to pull words out of him, but Damien's answers were short and clipped. The silence that followed felt heavier than the air around them.

But slowly, little by little, he began to open up.

It wasn't much—just small comments here and there—but eventually, they found a rhythm. Cana's natural curiosity and Damien's growing comfort allowed the conversation to flow more freely.

By the time the train pulled into Magnolia, Damien realized something he hadn't expected—he didn't mind talking to her.

As they stepped off the platform, Damien's eyes immediately scanned the city ahead.

Magnolia was larger and busier than he expected. The streets bustled with people, and the faint sound of laughter and music drifted from nearby shops. But Damien's focus shifted toward one building in the distance—the massive structure shaped like a grand hall, standing proudly at the center of it all.

Fairy Tail.

Damien held Cana's hand as they approached the massive wooden doors of Fairy Tail. The closer they got, the more his heart raced. For Cana, this was a hopeful reunion—for him, it was stepping into a part of his grandfather's past.

As they reached the entrance, the doors creaked open.

A man with messy brown hair and a tattered cloak walked out, his casual but imposing presence immediately drawing their attention. His sharp eyes briefly settled on Damien, and for a moment, Damien felt the weight of the man's gaze as if he could see straight through him.

The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "You here to join the guild? What about your sister?"

Damien blinked. "She's not my sister," he replied flatly. "I'm here to help her find her dad. He's supposed to be part of this guild. His last name is Alberona… I don't know his first name."

The man scratched his head, thinking for a moment. "Alberona, huh? Doesn't ring a bell, but I might be mistaken. You'll probably have better luck asking inside."

He turned and started walking away.

"Hey, wait!" Damien called after him. "I didn't catch your name."

The man paused briefly, glancing back over his shoulder. "It's Gildarts."

Damien froze.

Beside him, Cana's eyes widened as she whispered, "Damien… that's my dad's name."

His head snapped toward her. "Wait, what?! That was your dad? Why didn't you say something?"

"I… I got nervous," she muttered, fidgeting with her fingers. Her voice took on a whiny tone. "I wasn't ready!"

Damien sighed, shaking his head. "You could've just told him…"

"Sorry," she said, sticking out her tongue.

"Whatever, let's head inside. He probably left for a job."

The two of them stepped through the entrance.

The moment Damien crossed the threshold, he was met with chaos.

The guild hall was filled with people laughing, drinking, and brawling all at once. A pink-haired kid was wrestling another boy in nothing but his underwear, while others loudly cheered them on.

What the hell…? Damien thought, his eyes darting across the room.

It was loud, disorderly, and completely ridiculous.

But as he watched the wild scene unfold, he felt something stir inside him—something unfamiliar.

No wonder Grandpa loved this place. He would've fit right in.

Despite himself, Damien couldn't help but crack a small smile.

He and Cana made their way toward the bar counter, where an elderly, short man with a kind face was polishing a glass. His eyes twinkled as he noticed them approaching.

"Well, hello there," the old man greeted warmly. "What brings you two kids to Fairy Tail?"

Damien shrugged. "We're just here on personal business. Nothing important, we're just waiting for someone."

The old man set the glass down, leaning on the counter. "Personal business, huh? What kind of business do two little ones like you have here?"

Cana hesitated, but Damien responded calmly. "We're looking for someone… but he's not around. We'll wait a little while longer."

"Hmm…" The old man stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Well, if you're planning to stick around, why not join the guild while you wait?"

Damien shook his head almost immediately. "I'm not interested."

The man's gaze shifted toward Cana. "And you?"

Cana stiffened slightly. "M-me? I actually… I kind of want to join," she admitted nervously.

The old man chuckled. "Good! Go over to the counter next to the job board and get yourself a guild mark."

Cana nodded and hurried over, leaving Damien at the bar.

As he turned to leave, the old man's voice stopped him.

"Hold on a second, kid."

Damien glanced back, confused.

"The reason I asked you to join wasn't just for fun," the old man said, his tone shifting to something more serious. "I can tell… you're carrying a lot of hatred. But thankfully, you're keeping it in check—enough not to lash out at everything around you."

Damien narrowed his eyes slightly.

The old man's sharp perception unsettled him.

"Who… are you?" Damien asked quietly.

The man smiled faintly. "I'm Makarov. The guild master of Fairy Tail."

Makarov… the guild master?

Makarov crossed his arms, observing Damien closely. "And what's your name, boy?"

"Damien Voss," he answered.

Makarov's eyes widened slightly at the name. "Voss…? Your grandparents were part of this guild, weren't they?"

Damien nodded. "Yeah. They used to be."

Makarov's expression softened. "I see. So what happened, Damien?"

The boy's gaze darkened as he lowered his head. "Because a few months ago… pirates attacked my village. They killed my grandfather and put my grandmother in a coma."

Makarov's face tensed, but he remained calm. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Damien clenched his fists. "I've been trying to find the ones who did it ever since. But no matter how much I search, I keep coming up empty."

"You shouldn't try to find them," Makarov said softly.

Damien's head shot up, eyes burning with disbelief. "What?! How can you say that?"

But before he could continue, Makarov raised a hand.

"I'm not telling you to abandon revenge, Damien," he said firmly. "I'm telling you that if you focus only on that, you'll waste your life chasing something that could destroy you."

Damien's breathing slowed as the words sank in.

"I knew your grandparents," Makarov continued. "They were some of my closest friends. And I know they wouldn't want you to live like that. Revenge won't bring them back. If you want to honor them, live a life they'd be proud of."

Damien swallowed hard, the weight of his emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

"But…"

"And besides," Makarov added, his eyes narrowing slightly, "your grandparents were powerful. There's no way they were killed by just any random pirates. Whoever did this… is far stronger than you realize. If you go after them now, you'll die."

The words stung, but deep down, Damien knew they were true.

"Join Fairy Tail," Makarov said. "Grow stronger—and when the time comes, you'll have the strength to face them. But don't let revenge define you."

Damien lowered his gaze, thinking hard.

After a long pause, he nodded. "Alright… I'll join."