The Mage's Limits: Mages of Martir Book #2 Read Online Free Page A

and his arms felt like lead. His eyelids became as heavy as armor and sweat ran down his forehead. For some reason, he felt hot, rather than cold, even though he was using ice magic, not fire magic.
    This must be why so many mages refuse to go beyond the halfway point, Darek thought, although his thoughts were barely coherent even to himself. It feels like I'm dying.
    Once more, Darek checked his energy levels. By his estimations, he had only a quarter of his usual magical energy left. It occurred to him that he was losing energy after the halfway point far quicker than he had when his magic was fuller. He was close to the ceiling now, so close that he was surprised none of the teachers appeared to sense his proximity to it.
    Not … a problem, Darek thought, watching as Xocion's legs began forming in the ice block. All … the … better … for me …
    He staggered forward involuntarily. He heard the students behind him gasp, prompting him to shout, “I'm fine! Just getting a little tired is all. No need to worry about me. Everything will be fine.”
    Even he could hear how awful his voice sounded. No doubt he sounded like a talking corpse to everyone else. He might even sound bad enough for the teachers to intervene, though so far, he did not hear any movement from them.
    His magical energy levels were so low by now that he could barely even sense them. This frightened him more than he'd like to admit. Ever since he began his formal training as a student, Darek had always held the comfort of his magical energy levels in his own body no matter where he was or what he did.
    Now, however, it felt like he was missing several of his internal organs. Vital internal organs, like his heart or lungs. Breathing was becoming a task suited only for a god, while standing was as difficult as pushing a three ton boulder up the tallest hill in the world.
    Despite how his body was practically screaming for him to stop, Darek didn't. He had read only a handful of accounts of mages breaking through the ceiling. He had heard about what lay on the other side, for those lucky few who didn't fall into a coma. If he could just stay conscious for a little while longer, just a little while, then he would be all right.
    The statue was almost complete now; he could tell that even in his half-conscious state of mind. A figure like a titan towered over him. Strong, muscular arms, lithe athletic legs, and a chest like the Walls that surrounded the school formed his statue of Lord Xocion. The only thing that wasn't yet complete was the head; however, Darek could already see its vague outline; although whether it was in his head or in the world, he could not tell.
    Despite his heavy breathing and intense sweating, his robes getting drenched in the sweat, Darek couldn't help but crack a smile. My best work … ever. Looking at these muscles. The abs. Even the fingernails. Is this what everyone is afraid of? Afraid of exceeding their limits and doing what they could only ever dream of?
    He almost laughed. Of course, he hadn't yet reached the ceiling yet. It seemed unlikely that he would, but he kept pushing anyway. He had to. The teachers would have to be complete idiots if they hadn't noticed the immense amount of power he was expending at this point.
    Just keep going, Darek thought. Don't let up. Remember Aorja. Remember Uron. Remember how you want to keep your friends and family safe from people like—
    Darek stopped mid-thought. The tiredness in his body vanished. He stopped sweating. He no longer felt a heavy burden on his shoulders. He felt like he could jump for joy.
    His senses came alive. He could hear the boots of Taci Xeon, one of his fellow graduates, scuffling across the floor, and she was on the other side of the lobby. He smelled the soap used by another student, which was scented like grapes. He saw the Xocion ice statue in far greater detail than before, noticing little cracks too miniscule for even his trained eyes to notice normally. And