Halo: Magicka

A/N: So second arc begins, and with that the dreaded announcement is here... my

pAt- Re_0n is live with +7 chapters right now, up to chapter 18. My account is /godofnull if you're looking to support me :) With that, let's get on with the chapter.

Six Years Later,

August 2538 - New Alexandria - Reach,

The soft glow of yellow light flickered across the walls of our small room. Jon stood in the middle of our room, his brow furrowed in concentration as faint traces of magic swirled around his fingertips. His voice was steady as he recited the incantation, syllable by careful syllable.

"Aequor… Luminis… Reparo!"

A faint pulse of light surged out towards the cut on his finger, causing the air to hum with restrained energy before dissipating softly into the surroundings. I gave an approving nod from my spot against the doorframe as I noted that only a dark spot was left on his skin, near-perfect healing.

"Well done, little bro. You're nearly there," I said with a grin, crossing my arms.

Magic wasn't easy for most people. For me, spells felt almost instinctual—like breathing or blinking. They were wired into my mind, ingrained with knowledge I didn't have to think about. But Jon? He had to earn every inch of progress. His belief in magic had to be unwavering. His focus, absolute.

But still, he was getting there. His talent was solid—probably A-Rank, if I had to put a label on it and compare it to my SSS-Rank.

"Did I mess up on the final verse?" Jon asked his expression a mix of curiosity and frustration.

I chuckled, "Your pronunciation was a bit off on Luminis, but honestly? You did great. You're getting better every day, don't try to rush and more importantly, don't think you have to catch up to me. Jon, I was able to cast magic as soon as I was born - I was literally born with a mature mindset. I'm here to teach you, not to compete with you - accept that as a fact."

Jon's face lit up at the praise, and I could see the spark of determination in his eyes, he nodded at my latter warnings.

"But Eli... How? Why? I just-" Jon began whining.

"Luck of the Draw kid, who knows, I might even be the reason that you're able to use it in the first place. After all, I was practising in the womb first so who knows, I could've indirectly been responsible for giving you magic talent," I spoke, "perhaps I was meant to be the only person with magic in this world."

"Eh?" My little brother was a little confused as to what I was rambling on about. Ah, it seems he still isn't up to date mentally in that regard.

"Never mind, Jon, just stick with what you're doing right now and you'll eventually get to this point....although I'll probably be far ahead of that as well," I smiled at him as I ruffled his hair.

"Ahhhh, Eli that's not fair, why were you born first?" He whined which made me laugh.

Abruptly we heard a knock at the door, causing me to raise my eyebrow,

"We're not expecting anyone are we bro?" I asked him, and he shook his head, "Interesting then..."

I moved to open the door and came face to face with a uniformed individual that I hadn't seen for a couple of years now.

"Dr. Pershing," I said, my voice even but firm. "It's been a long time."

The doctor looked much the same as I remembered—sharp features, greying hair at her temples, and those perpetually tired eyes behind thin glasses. She wore a UNSC uniform, her badge glinting in the light. A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Elysius. Jon," she greeted, nodding slightly toward Jon and peeking over my shoulder, "You've both grown quite a bit."

"Yeah, five years tends to do that to kids," I replied dryly before joking, "What brings a UNSC doctor to our doorstep? A social visit perhaps?"

Pershing's smile tightened, "May I come in?"

I glanced back at Jon, who looked uncertain but nodded at me. With a sigh, I stepped aside, letting Pershing enter.

I've only come to present an opportunity to the both of you," Pershing said with a sigh, removing her glasses and wiping them carefully with a cloth as she lowered herself onto Jon's bed. The act was casual, but every movement felt rehearsed, and deliberate.

Dr. Pershing glanced at us, her sharp gaze moving between me and Jon. Despite her composed exterior, I could tell she was carefully choosing her words.

"I'll be direct with you both and I'm saying this so that you can trust me on what I'm going to say after it," she said, her voice steady. "You're not ordinary children. And I'm not saying that lightly."

I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall, while Jon fidgeted slightly on the bed beside her.

"When you were first brought here, standard genetic testing was performed, as is protocol for all evacuees. At first, I noticed elevated cognitive functions and developed musculature in both of you—higher neural plasticity, rapid processing speeds, and advanced mental faculties well beyond your age range. Jon, you had the mental faculties of a teenager at the age of 2, which baffled me."

She paused, her lips pressing into a thin line.

"But then I looked deeper. Specifically at you, Eli."

I kept my face neutral, but inwardly, alarms were ringing in my head. Had she found out about my magic? Did something show up in my scans?

"You were a statistical anomaly—your neurological patterns aren't just advanced, they're… unprecedented. You exhibit mental and physical markers we've only seen in a handful of people- most of them being classified individuals, even though you're only a child."

Jon perked up, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Dr. Pershing sighed softly and leaned forward, her voice dropping to a near whisper.

"Your father, Aldrich Howl, wasn't just a soldier. He was part of something called Project Orion, our attempt to make supersoldiers."

Jon's eyes went wide, and I felt my stomach drop.

"Your genetic markers, both of you, indicate that you're Spartan-1.1s. The children of a Spartan-I. You've inherited enhancements at a fundamental biological level. Neural adaptability, increased resilience, a stronger set of biological systems… it's all there, embedded in your DNA," She studied our reactions carefully.

"Jon, your markers are already impressive, but Eli…" Her eyes locked with mine, a faint spark of curiosity glinting behind her glasses. "Yours are something else entirely. There's something about you that goes beyond just hereditary inheritance. I can't quite explain it, but your scans… don't follow conventional patterns, my best bet is that a mutation occurred in your DNA that supercharged the already insane DNA changes responsible for all of your mental faculties you would have had. Otherwise, you'd be on the same level as your little brother. Either way, your genetic markers seemed perfect for a programme going on in the UNSC."

I kept my expression still, but inside, I was piecing together how close she was to the truth.

"So what now?" I asked evenly.

Dr Pershing straightened up, her hands clasped in front of her, "That is why when I say that the UNSC wants you both to join this programme: the Spartan-III program, I'm saying it from a point of care. As a doctor, I can promise that you'd both be given the best training, equipment, and support humanity can offer. You'd have a purpose—a chance to make a real difference in this war."

Jon was silent, his fists clenched tightly in his lap. I could tell his mind was racing, weighing everything he'd just heard before his fists abruptly unclenched - it seemed he'd already made a decision.

"And if we say no?" I asked.

Pershing's smile softened. "This isn't a conscription, Eli. It's a choice. But let me be clear—the skills, intelligence, and potential you both have… won't go unnoticed forever. Opportunities like this don't come often."

She stood up and made her way to the door, "I'll give you both time to think about it. But don't take too long, I'll be waiting in the orphanage's reception for ten minutes, come with me if you decide you want to take the opportunity. The war isn't waiting for anyone."

As the door closed behind her, Jon turned to me, his voice trembling,

"Eli… what do we do?"

I exhaled slowly, my mind had already decided,

"It seems you've already decided little bro, you don't have to ask me all the time."

He looked slightly put off that I'd guessed what he wanted to do.

"I'll follow you, this time, to whatever you wish to do, little bro," I smiled as I ruffled his hair again.

"I want to become strong, not just with magic... I want to be like that Spartan who saved us," He spoke with conviction, "I want to help humanity."

I nodded,

"Either way I was going to be noticed by the UNSC soon enough, I may as well get a free supersoldier body out of it for my troubles."

We collected whatever was important to us, for me that was a picture of our family before we headed downstairs to meet the doctor.

....

Step.

As she heard the sound of our shoes hitting the floor, she smiled as she turned to us,

"You've made a decision that'll help humanity - for that kids, I really do thank you."

Holding her hands out, We elected not to hold them. Although Jon relied on me most time, he was not a child.

Pershing grinned,

"Okay, well let's head off. You'll be seeing a lot more of me now that you've elected to go through with it."

"How come?" I asked.

"I'll be the chief medical advisor on the programme," she grinned at us causing me to roll my eyes, "of course you are."