J.C. Thursday POV  (A/N: J.C. Thursday is a referenced character in the final book of the 'Optical Illusion' series of which all books in order are in a reading list on my page.)

Two Decades Later...

Monzara' sky was a cruel cold grey shade as flashes of lightning could be seen. The small sanctuary had now flourished. It has become a school & a home. It was made with the very purpose of letting people who possess magic be themselves. To allow magic to properly be learned. J.C. was quite into his older years, but he had managed to complete his book...

His feet had him wander back to his backyard, to the now abandoned renovated shed. The place felt off as soon as I opened the doors. The five boys I practically cared for as my sons, their laughs & screams couldn't be heard anymore.

A few years back the boys & I learned I could never manifest magic. Not that I was envious, but it was a struggle raising them without understanding them as they got used to their magic alongside their abilities.

I sat down at the table by the window, mindlessly touching my ring. This ring was a gift the boys seemed adamant I should have. I smiled as a memory came back to me...

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"Hyung ! Hyung, look !", Ben yelled excitedly as he had just mastered a floating spell. He was literally suspended in the air. "당신이 해냈어요! 당신이 해낼 줄 알았어요, 벤!" (You did it ! I knew you'd get it, Ben !) I was always enthusiastic about the boys. My attention slowly drifted to Terry. I made my way over to sit next to him in the grass. 

"Why are you over here by yourself ? Something bothering you ?" I didn't want to seem smothering, but I didn't like leaving any of them in their thoughts for long. "I am fine, hyung. Just thinking about things..." 

He seemed all too worried of things. "Thinking about what ?" Terry sighed as he looked up at the blue skyline. "마법이 정말 문제일까요? 우리 가족들은 우리를 지지한다고 조롱당하지 않기 위해 우리를 버렸습니다." (Is magic really the problem ? Our families abandoned us so they would not get ridiculed for supporting us.)

The conversation died out, but I could tell he was still holding quite the resentment about his family. I am sure the others probably felt the same.

Before long, it was like any other day. They let themselves act as children. They lived like brothers all this time... Spells were cast & laughter filled the air constantly. From where I sat this was perfection at its finest.

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I sighed as I wiped my tears. Just as quick as the memory came, it left. It made me remember why I was back here in the first place. I sat my ring on the table as I ran a hand through the hair. 

They were gone... The last thing they had done was give me this ring, it honestly saddened me immensely that they've all passed. The sunlight from the skylight hit my ring at the perfect angle. This is when I began seeing the five of them as I remembered, as boys. Not the men they were when they died. 

Had they spelled the ring  for me ? I held back tears as I watched the hologram like versions of them going through the motions again. Like how they were when we first renovated the shed for them...

It amazed me that I lived still even though they have no left. "Is this real ?", I asked as I kept looking over the room. This is when Steve sat across from me, the others still going through the motions of training or playing around. "빨리 해야 돼요, 형. 제가 하려는 말을 잘 들어보세요." (I have to make this quick, hyung. Just listen to what I am about to say.) Steve seemed calm, but also in a rush. I nodded. 

This is when he said something I absolutely never expected. "We leave our sanctuary-- no, our institute, in your capable care. By time you see this, we'll already have passed on, hyung."

The was a pause as Steve seemed to tense up. This could not have been easy to leave me. "You are officially the first Headmaster of the Monzara, Institute Of The Arcane. Make the most of it before we see you again, hyung..."

Everything stopped & I wiped my tears. I put my ring back on & made my way to the institute. I stood at the door with a newfound determination.

"그걸 최대한 활용하기 위해서요..." (Here's to making the most of it...)

The END.

끝.