[Third Person POV]
"Alright... to activate a spell, one must first achieve Resonance, a 'vibration' that every force or soul possesses—a form of frequency. Harmony creates stability, and dissonance creates change, allowing a spell to remain stable yet capable of evolution."
"Second, there must be Equivalence for the spell to sustain balance, since power cannot manifest without an equal release or loss elsewhere. A "give to gain" if you will."
"Third, Intent—a conscious Focus allowing energy to flow according to the will behind it, and emotion itself can sharpen and empower the spell."
"Fourth, Manifestation—the realization that Thought becomes matter through will, and imagination is proto-creation, unlimited."
"Lastly, Continuum—the flow of Magic that must be guided, for it is never static. It is a current that must never be halted—stopping the flow brings backlash, collapse, or even... death."
"Now... Major Image."
In an instant, a colossal 15-foot, four-limbed and two-winged golden dragon took form, its presence filling the space like a living sun. Every movement embodied majesty, power, and divine grace.
Its physique was muscular yet refined, a perfect harmony of strength and beauty. Four great horns curved like a crown wrought by the heavens themselves, framing eyes of blazing amber that burned with wisdom and dominion. Fangs glimmered like forged ivory gold, and its vast wings rose like radiant cathedrals of light. Its scales were not merely golden—they were molten metal incarnate, each one alive with a shifting luster, reflecting brilliance and awe. The tail extended long, armored in overlapping plates, tapering to a ridged blade that gleamed with cutting brilliance.
As it moved, it was silent as a shadow and sure as a storm, each step carrying the calm precision of a lion and unspoken authority. The air trembled with its presence.
"RROOOOAAAAAARRRRR!!!"
The roar that followed split the silence—deep, resonant, radiant, long, and drawn-out, filled with timeless, celestial fury. It thundered across the air not as chaos, but as divine proclamation, echoing like the toll of a colossal golden bell ringing through creation itself.
"Haaaaaah! Hahaha, alright—another spell successfully cast," Melchivor said with relief, admiring the lifelike illusion before him.
That's right—an illusion. Despite what the senses might tell you—sight, sound, even smell—the presence it gave off made it feel almost alive. But it wasn't real. Anyone who tried to touch it would simply pass through.
Melchivor had been practicing the general magic stored within his spirit archives outside in one of the many courts of the mansion, focusing mostly on the lower-level D&D spells he had once written for the original King Melchivor, and using one of the basic methods shown in the spirit archive: how to cast spells for dummies.
In the time leading up to his second year in Hell, he had completely mastered singing. And thanks to being a well-off Goetia Prince with absolutely no parental supervision, he had managed to acquire countless musical instruments through the servants. By the time he turned three, Melchivor had become skilled in a wide range of musical arts, often practicing in his room, around the mansion, or performing for Stolas.
He had grown so talented that even the servants sometimes hoped he'd practice near their workstations, enjoying his music to a great degree.
"Oh wow!!—Brother Mel, is this your beast!? It's so cool~!!"
Then suddenly, a tiny, round-bodied owl demon came from behind Melchivor and immediately ran in front of the gold dragon.
He was about two and a half feet tall, covered in soft midnight-blue down flecked with silvery specks like stars. His chest and wingtips were pale cream, and his short, stubby wings fluttered when he was excited. Four big red eyes on his face glowed faintly with curiosity. Messy feather tufts formed an uneven crown on his head, giving him a perpetual bed-head look. He wore miniature royal outfits—little velvet tunics or starry nightgowns trimmed with gold—and in his left hand, he held a plushie of a man drawing a bow, named Orion, a name personally given by Stolas himself based on the actual constellation of Orion.
"Huh?—Why can't I touch it??" Stolas said in slight bewilderment as he tried to pet the dragon, only for his hand to phase through.
Before Stolas could react, his waist was immediately grabbed by two feathered dragon-like tails, which had started appearing around Melchivor during the second half of his second year. Melchivor used them now to pull Stolas up toward himself—Melchivor already almost four feet tall, nearly twice Stolas's size.
"Ah! Mel! You know I don't like being held up~!" Stolas said, annoyed as he struggled to break free.
"Also!–What's wrong with your beast? I can't seem to touch it no matter how hard I try!"
Melchivor, in turn, just gave him an amused smile, chuckling. "Oh, I dunno... have you considered it might just be an illusion~?"
Hearing this, Stolas paused, giving Melchivor a scrutinizing look, then turned his head back to the golden dragon for a long moment before slowly turning back.
"It's not real...! Aawww man~!!" Stolas said with a downcast expression, his feathers drooping deeply, giving the same look as a child realizing the dog they wanted isn't really theirs.
Melchivor grinned. "You know," he said, crouching slightly so Stolas could see the illusion clearly, "the fun part isn't just touching it. Watch carefully..."
Perhaps feeling slightly bad for Stolas, Melchivor decided to put on a little show for him.
As Melchivor extended a hand toward the dragon, with a subtle flick of his fingers and a concentrated thought, the dragon lifted one massive wing, then another, and gave a slow, powerful flap as it leaped toward the sky with a boom.
Its enormous body swayed gracefully in the air, tail flicking to balance itself in flight. It tilted its head toward the young Goetia as if acknowledging Stolas's presence. Then it opened its mouth, letting out a long, resonant roar.
That wasn't all, though. Its form began to shift to various shapes. Normal animals like bears, crows, whales, then mythical ones such as phoenixes, dragons, and even people too, like their father Paimon or Stolas himself.
"Oh...!" Stolas's eyes went wide in astonishment. Even though Stolas was also a Goetia Prince like Melchivor and could already do magic, his was considerably weaker due to his young age. Most of the magic he performed was instinctual, which Melchivor had learned was apparently common for Goetias.
Thus, seeing magic on such a grand and refined scale utterly fascinated Stolas.
"Haha~, would you like to try for yourself, Stolas?" Melchivor said with a playful grin, his tails swaying gently behind him.
"Huh? But isn't it the illusion under your direct control? I'm pretty sure you can't just hand over the control—otherwise the spell would just break, right?" Stolas asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Don't worry your tail feathers," Melchivor replied with a small laugh. "Just simply place your hand on one of my tails and send a bit of magic through." He said as he moved one of his tails toward Stolas.
"Ummm, o-okay... like this?" Stolas asked as he placed his hand on it, sending his magic through as his feathers fluffed nervously.
"Yes, now try to see if you can influence the illusion," Melchivor instructed calmly, his eyes glimmering with anticipation.
"O-okay." As Stolas did, the illusion began to shift once again, this time taking the form of a goat, though the form was considerably wobbly and the features quite vague.
"Wo~ I-I'm actually controlling it!! T-though it's with some difficulty...!" Stolas exclaimed, his eyes widening with wonder as the illusion flickered in response to his intent and made the typical baa sound a goat makes.
"Relax, Stolas," Melchivor said reassuringly, his tone both patient and amused. "Now, try to channel your intent through the magic you're sending, and fill it with your imagination."
The goat's body trembled slightly as Stolas concentrated harder, his small hands glowing faintly with magic. Gradually, the image became just slightly clearer, the goat's legs more defined, its fur shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Though imperfect, it now resembled something closer to life than before. Stolas's face lit up with pure delight.
Melchivor watched with a small, approving nod, his tails curling slightly in satisfaction. Watching Stolas's growth (even if only a little) really made him proud, and despite having known the rambunctious fluff ball for only a short time, and yes, regardless of being a reincarnate of a young man, he couldn't help but grow genuine care for Stolas.
As the illusion flickered one last time, Stolas turned back toward him with wide eyes, a proud grin spreading across his beak. "Did you see that, Brother Mel!? I did it, I actually did it!"
Melchivor chuckled softly as he patted Stolas's head. "You did good, Stolas. Now I don't know about you, but I'm quite hungry. Let's get something to eat, shall we?"
"Okay! I want mice stew!"
"Ugh... sure, kid, whatever you want." Melchivor couldn't help but slightly gag. Even though he was now somewhat of an owl demon like Stolas and instinctually found rodents tasty-looking, an old human aspect lingering in his existence couldn't help but be somewhat grossed out by the thought of eating it.
Nevertheless, Melchivor and Stolas headed back inside the mansion side by side, as servants in the nearby courts simply watched while they worked, not wanting to interrupt their sibling bonding time. lest they draw the ire of a Goetia. After all, young they may be, they were still powerful Goetia, though right now everyone had a smile on their face.