Chapter One: A Day After

Colin Lahnmerg, a wizard with an affinity for modern style, had always been an oddity in the magical community. Yes, he could control all four elements – water, air, earth and fire –, but instead of fighting some enemy he rather preferred sitting in café sipping latté and reading books. He loves writing and his dream was, of course, to be a writer. He was thirty years old with master degree from Suzan's University in Caliborna. His parents always wanted him to be a doctor or at least a priest. None of that happened. After High School he wanted a break from magic and especially from his controlling parents. It was almost a year since he moved to Mandorra, which was called 'A City of Fortune'. By that time, he was skinny with emo style but as the time passed, he attended a gym classes and courses to become more muscular.

Magic bored him. He found more enchantment in the daily habits and work as barista than in summoning spirits of nature elements. He loved writing letters and short stories about "normal" people. People, who lived their happy lives as mortals with no magic, daily problems and diet. He rented a Loft apartment in downtown which was like a heaven for him. He immediately fell in love with that place, that he even used his magic to scare other people who were interested in renting it. For him it was like living his dream. The only thing that bothered him was his parents. Every time they visited him, they tried to make him come back to their mansion and dedicate his live to the church, hospital and magic.

Obviously, they failed every time. He had absolutely no interest in coming back. Especially, when he had an amazing date yesterday with that one guy he met at the gym. His name was Nathan Spark.

Nathan's first encounter with Colin at the gym was a serendipitous collision of worlds—the athlete and the enigmatic wizard. Like in a movie. The clatter of weights, the scent of sweat, and the rhythmic thud of boxing gloves against pads. Colin stood out amidst the grunting muscleheads. Like every other guy he wore sport shorts and a tank top that hinted a hidden tattoos but his eyes held secrets. Something that enchanted Nathan so much that he couldn't tear his gaze away.

For Nathan it was a coincidence because that day he went to the gym early than he usually does. His roommate was sick and stayed home from work so Nathan could not have the apartment for himself that is why he decided to do cardio at the gym instead of home.

"Hey, you new here?" Nathan found himself in greeting that cute dark-haired guy. He was wiping his forehead with a towel. His voice was temporarily muted because that weekend he and his roommate were on a Post Malone concert. They shouted like little teenage girls singing they beloved songs—Enough is Enough and Chemical. Colin nodded, a half-smile playing on his lips. "No, I am here every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for almost a year. Never seen you here… So, YOU must be new here." Colin answered with a wide smile showing his white teeth. Something that enchanted Nathan even more. "You kiddin. I am here every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and I also never seen you here."

"Well, you do now." Colin replied. He sensed that the blond cute guy with beard might be interested in something more than a hookup or something…less… "I am Colin."

"Nathan," he smiled, extending a hand. His palm met Colin's and something sparked—a current that defied logic. "So, I guess you go to the gym around noon like today, don't you? That's why I see you here for the first time."

"Actually no," Colin shook his head. "I've got a shift this afternoon so I've decided to do my workout now and relax after work. Do some writing."

"Writing, huh? Your job?"

"It's my hobby. I work as a barista."

"Cool. Double espresso for me, please." Nathan smiled.

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind." Colin's laughter was quiet, like the rustle of leaves in a forgotten forest. "Of course, my peers rather brew potions but I prefer latté."

"Potions?" Nathan laughed again, this time the sound echoing the walls. "You are more mysterious every minute."

Colin leaned closer; his breath warm against Nathan's ear. "Magic." He whispered. And just like that, Nathan was spellbound. Something just "clicked" between them. Colin's heart raced—not from exertion, but from something deeper. In the meantime, they shared their workouts and around one in the afternoon the gym was emptied. Colin sat on the bench, stretching his legs.

"You know, you're not like the others," Nathan said while he was sitting next to him, their shoulders brushing.

"I hope not. I have never been good at fitting in." He glanced at him with a mysterious smile.

"And what about magic? Is that real?" He asked softly.

Colin's eyes held galaxies. "As real as your dedication to this place. Magic is everywhere, Nathan. In the sweat of your brow, in the rhythm of your heart."

That was true, Nathan admitted it to himself, but he never got the answer he was looking for. Nathan didn't know what to say. He had spent years sculpting his body, chasing victories in body building competitions. But Colin made him suddenly question everything—the purpose of strength, the meaning of power. His words stayed in his head as they went to the locker room.

That was not the day they had their first date. Actually, they didn't see each other in two weeks. Somehow, they forgot to exchange phone numbers and didn't tell each other their "routine" time they go to do workout. Colin was also enchanted by Nathan and wanted to see him again. They could not make it to the gym at the same time because the universe had its own plan.

Nathan was sceptic about meeting Colin again because he went to the gym that Thursday and Friday and never saw him there. He even spent the whole Friday afternoon at the gym but no sight of Colin who suddenly has many nosebleeds that day so decided to stay home. He just gave up and was pretty sad about it because Colin was really charming.

Colin believed in the universe and mysterious energy and if the meeting was fated it will happen again. Although he was sad too when he didn't see Nathan in the gym the other day.

'A love that defied gravity, that lifted them higher than any dumbbell ever could.' Colin wrote in one of his stories thinking about Nathan's smile. A sudden warm energy filled his entire body. Like fire flowing through every muscle tissue just waiting to burst into flames. It was not scary. It was calm and really enchanted feeling.

This same feeling came again when he met Nathan…again. It was Friday evening and Colin took a lift to the gym because it was in the twentieth floor and he was not feeling good enough to do a cardio on the stairs. He accidentally pushed button with the number fifteen. He had no idea why he did it so he immediately pushed the right button but the elevator went to the fifteenth floor first.

Elevator doors opened and Colin's smile suddenly widened when his eyes met the well-known brown eyes from two weeks ago. Believe it or not, Nathan stood there surprised that the guy he was thinking about the whole time was there. None of them moved so the doors decided to put a stop to this stillness and began to close. Both of them suddenly extended their hand and prevented it from closing, not wanting to lose this opportunity. Like Colin's grandmother once said. "Magic happens in many forms. You just have to believe that it happens."

Nathan was a force of nature. An athlete in his thirties, he embodied strength and discipline. His morning began with sunrise runs, and his evenings were filled with weightlifting sessions. He revelled in the physical world, pushing his body to its limits. And now he suddenly discovered magic beyond his understanding. At that time only their souls knew it was a start of something new.