Mirror of Magico

By Al Liao

Mirror of Magico is a story filled with wonder, mystery, and an ancient secret. The story revolves around the school adventures of three children—Joanna, Elijah, and Oliver—and their time in Omega Sports Academy.
Of course, Omega Sports Academy is no regular school—far from it, in fact. What the children soon learn is that the school houses a huge secret: a magical lake that’s responsible for a lot of the powers—and even the disappearances—of teachers and students alike. The three children get to know one another and become good friends, taking part in sporting activities together and becoming quite a close-knit group. It is here, however, that their adventure truly begins.
Omega Sports Academy is surrounded by a forest, with the legend being that those who dare to venture out into the forest are never seen again. Of course, this doesn’t deter our young, brave adventurers, who decide to explore the forest one night and get into a world of trouble.
Out in the forest, they encounter it, the yellow-eyed beast, a creature as terrifying as it is hideous. It chases them through the forest, but they are able to get away and return to the safety of the academy. However, while the creature does chase them, it doesn’t follow them all the way to the school. Instead, it stops just shy of the school grounds. Not choosing to look a gift horse in the mouth, the children high-tail it to their rooms and straight to bed, trying to put the events of the forest behind them. However . . . forgetting about the creature they encountered is not an option.
For the next few days, Joanna and Elijah have terrible nightmares about the creature that chased them down in the forest. Considering them to be just that, bad dreams, they brush them off and carry on about their daily lives. However, that soon changes when one night Joanna wakes up from her nightmare and, upon looking out her window, comes face-to-face with the creature staring back at her through the glass with its cold yellow eyes.
Sure that the creature is definitely hunting them, the trio start digging. They discover the location of the school library, not the one that’s accessible to students but rather the one that stores the secrets of the school. Here, they discover the root of the school’s magic as well as some details about the creature, such as why it exists, what it is, and why it can’t cross the school grounds. Armed with this knowledge, Joanna, Elijah, and Oliver decide that they need to take out the creature before it can harm them or, worse, the rest of the school. They come up with a plan to kill the creature using the magic in the lake.
In the middle of the night, they sneak out of the school and back into the forest where they first encountered the creature. They lure it out and attack it, all the while trying to dodge its massive arms, lest they be hacked to death. In the end, they kill the creature, thus making it safe for the students of the school.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664164628

Al Liao

Al Liao, also known as Chao-Hsiang Liao, is a professional badminton athlete and has been a pro for the last fifteen years. In 2012, he was on the London Olympic Taiwan National Team, and he has spent countless hours coaching more than ten thousand students around the globe. This love of teaching others shines through in his day-to-day life too. The sole purpose of this book is to help others learn to conquer evil and become the best versions of themselves. His father was always his biggest supporter. After losing his father four years before writing this book, he decided to honor his memory and help others on their paths to personal greatness. This meant using Liao’s most painful, vulnerable times to be teaching moments for others. All the painful emotions he had battled after losing his father, emotions that had the power to bring him to his knees and hold him back, were things he had to overcome. He seeks to inspire others to overcome their difficult times and conquer them.

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Copyright © 2021 by Al Liao.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 03/19/2021

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1 Elijah

Chapter 2 Joanna

Chapter 3 Elijah

Chapter 4 Joanna

Chapter 5 Elijah

Chapter 6 Joanna

Chapter 7 Elijah

Chapter 8 Joanna

Chapter 9 Elijah

Chapter 10 Joanna

Chapter 11 The Sorting

Chapter 12 Joanna

Chapter 13 Elijah

Chapter 14 Joanna

Chapter 15 Elijah

Chapter 16 Joanna

Chapter 17 Elijah

Chapter 18 Joanna

Chapter 19 Elijah

Chapter 20 Joanna

Chapter 21 Elijah

Chapter 22 Joanna

Chapter 23 Elijah

Chapter 24 Joanna

Chapter 25 Elijah

Chapter 26 Joanna

Chapter 27 Elijah

Chapter 28 Joanna

Chapter 29 Elijah

Chapter 30 Joanna

Chapter 31 Elijah

Chapter 32 Joanna

Chapter 33 Elijah

Chapter 34 Joanna

Chapter 35 Elijah

Chapter 36 Joanna

Chapter 37 Elijah

Chapter 38 Joanna

Chapter 39 Elijah

Chapter 40 Joanna

Chapter 41 Elijah

Chapter 42 Joanna

Chapter 43 Elijah

Chapter 44 Joanna

Chapter 45 Elijah

Chapter 46 Joanna

Chapter 47 Elijah

Chapter 48 Joanna

Chapter 49 Elijah

Chapter 50 Joanna

Chapter 51 Elijah

Chapter 52 Joanna

Chapter 53 Elijah

Chapter 54 Joanna

Chapter 55 Elijah

Chapter 56 Joanna

Chapter 57 Elijah

Chapter 58 Joanna

Chapter 59 Elijah

Chapter 60 Joanna

Chapter 61 Elijah

Chapter 62 Joanna

Chapter 63 Elijah

Chapter 64 Joanna

Chapter 65 Joanna

Chapter 66 Elijah

Chapter 67 Joanna

Chapter 68 Elijah

Chapter 69 Joanna

Chapter 70 Elijah

Chapter 71 Joanna

Chapter 72 Elijah

Chapter 73 Joanna

Chapter 74 Elijah

Chapter 75 Joanna

Chapter 76 Elijah

Chapter 77 Joanna

Chapter 78 Elijah

Chapter 79 Joanna

Chapter 80 Elijah

Preface

The last of the research teams were packing up their bags and leaving. The lake glimmered, just like it always had, reflecting a million rays of sunlight off its surface. A famous folktale among the tribes told the story of how a young man had gone blind sitting on the banks of the river, waiting for his lover to show up.

The last jeep revved up its engine. It was going to transport them to the base, where a helicopter would pick them up. There was still no easy access to the lake. They had found none of the answers they had come looking for. Nor would they ever. Humans should learn to make peace with curiosity. Not everything out there is made for them to get to the depth of. Not everything is meant to be explored. Not everything can be dissected and studied and concluded with a slap of scientifically proven facts.

The lake was as much a mystery to them as it had always been. What went on in and around the river was a well-kept secret, protected by the locals for ages. The outsiders would keep the secret too; everyone knew it but for very different reasons. They would pretend that they never saw what they saw. They would delude themselves into thinking science is infallible. They would think that in a few years, with more advancements in technology and some breakthrough discoveries, they would figure out the lake too. Their small egos would never let them accept that. There were things right here, just miles away from them, that defied all that they believed to be true.

A few miles out from the lake, within the dense trees, they made a mark, probably to remind themselves of what lay ahead. Dejected, exhausted, and weary from the expedition, they fought their way with the tangle of trees and shrubs until finally, the helicopter beckoned to them. Just like that, they were gone. The forest and the lake remained, as undisturbed and untouched as ever, as if the scientists had never been here. The hum of the helicopter remained in the air for a few minutes, getting more muffled by the second.

As the helicopter left, the lake turned a bright red.

***

No mention of the failed expedition deep into the small forest down by the countryside was made on TV. The scientists who had been studying the lake were forbidden to talk about it, and all the documents from the project were sealed and stored.

In a few years, everybody would forget about its existence, and their lives would move forward, just like they always had. A strange, unexplainable, and inaccessible lake in the middle of a dangerous rainforest, surrounded by hostile tribes, made no difference to their lives anyway.

The year was 1977—not that it matters where we’re from. We don’t bother with those things. What purpose do dates and years serve, anyway? Humans just have to label everything and organize it neatly for their records. What good are records and histories if they don’t ever learn from them?

They named the lake the Mirror of Magico—the Mirror of Magic. It went into the official records but never again came to anybody’s lips—not that they believed in magic. It was just a romanticized term to them. They called the lake magical because what they had seen here, they couldn’t explain with their studies and research, but they didn’t realize that they weren’t far off from the mark.

There was an ancient magic in this lake. The lake had been here for centuries, exactly how it was. It never changed shape; it neither grew nor shrunk. It was a perfectly circular body of water, such a perfect circle that it was eerie to look at from above, but it was more than just the shape that was strange.

The elders of the tribes say that long before they had settled here, as the first of the civilizations in the region began to take shape, the lake was surrounded by magicians, witches and wizards who had been driven away by society, shunned into isolation because they were different. The people in power felt threatened by these strange people who had been blessed with the gift of magic. Magical people, they said, do not belong in urbanized societies. One swish of their hand could bring down the entire system of organized rule.

Pushed to the brink of the lake, completely alone and in the dark, many of these witches and wizards claimed their own lives by slowly sinking down to the bottom of the lake. Their hungry mouths gulped in water as their lungs filled up. The light of the sun became more and more distant as they kept sinking to the bottom. The depth of the lake was still unknown. It was said to be so deep that nobody could ever recover the corpses of those who had died in the lake.

Perhaps the forlorn and distressed magicians cursed the water. Perhaps the lake became bitter after witnessing so many unnecessary deaths. Perhaps this was the lake’s revenge: the people had shunned these magicians; the lake was going to shun people. While they were in their final resting place, on the lake bed, nobody could disturb the dead. Perhaps the lake had absorbed the magic from their corpses. Perhaps their souls were still alive in the depths of the lake.

This is all just folklore. Nobody really knows what happened, and I suppose nobody ever will. The locals who now live around the lake revere it, so much so that some locals have come to worship it and their religious practices center on the lake. They say the lake could show you your deepest desires and lead you to them. They say the lake is a mirror—a mirror that reflects not only your face but also your heart. The lake has no functional use for the tribal people anyway. They can’t drink from it, and they can’t cook with it. The water is poisonous, and those who have tried to quench their thirst at the lake have not been able to survive long. Some go swimming sometimes if the lake is not too cold.

Whatever secrets the lake holds, the locals understand them better than those outsiders ever will. They come with closed minds and narrow sight. The locals have the sense and clarity to see the lake for what it really is. It isn’t a magical lake, as the outsiders have named it. The lake itself is magic, and only those who respect the magic can ever come close.

Chapter 1

ELIJAH

Elijah was jerked wide awake at midnight, just like every other night. He sat on his bed, sweating profusely. His heartbeat was fast, but he knew it would pass in a bit.

He had the same nightmare again, but it didn’t terrify him anymore. This was routine for him now. When he started having recurring nightmares soon after his eighth birthday, he used to be scared. Now he paid no attention to them and accepted them as part of his life.

He took a sip of water from the half-filled glass of water on his bedside and got up to crank the window a bit. The air outside was cool and calm. He couldn’t really see the lake from his window, but he could feel its presence.

This small town was defined by the existence and stories of the lake. Everybody had heard the stories. When they were kids, exchanging creepy stories about the lake used to be the norm. Sleepovers, hangouts, and playtimes would be incomplete without someone mentioning a new rumor they had heard about the lake from their grandparents.

Elijah was eleven now. He knew the stories were just that—stories, folklore meant to entertain adults, enchanted tales meant to entrance kids, rumors meant to pull someone’s leg. That certainly did not mean Elijah did not believe that there was something about the lake that he couldn’t put a finger on. He was sure he wasn’t the only one in this tiny town who felt that way.

He gazed at the full moon, which illuminated the tops of the thicket of trees that lined the lake. They were swaying gently in the slight wind, betraying none of the secrets of the lake they were safeguarding. He yawned. He should get back to bed, he thought.

He had given up on trying to figure out or remember what these recurring dreams were that woke him up at midnight every night. He used to try long and hard to remember, but it always eluded him. As soon as he would open his eyes, the dream would slip past him, impossible to catch again. Over the years, he had tried a hundred times to recall his dreams, but not even a single detail came to mind. All he knew was that it was the same dream over and over, every night and always at midnight.

Most nights, he had no trouble falling back asleep, but for some reason, today he couldn’t. The muscles in his arm ached from his long badminton match with his friend, Dave. Of course, Dave lost. That went without saying.

Elijah was the best badminton player in this town, and he knew it. His father, before he died, had told him that he would make sure that Elijah went to a great sports academy so he could truly polish his badminton skills and compete internationally.

After his untimely demise, Elijah stopped playing badminton for a good year. Even though Elijah was still young when it had happened, he knew enough to understand death.

Every little swish of the shuttlecock as it flew in the air used to remind Elijah of his dad. It was he who had taught Elijah. He had been a great badminton player himself years ago, when his knees were strong enough to hold him up. When Elijah was six, he had gifted him his first badminton racket and shuttlecock. He had shown him how to hold the racket, how to throw the shuttlecock in the air, and how to keep it flying. Elijah’s six-year-old brain had initially thought the game was too boring, but years of playing it out in the lawn with his father had convinced him otherwise.

His mother used to join them too in later years. His dad was teaching her to play when he fell sick. Within weeks, his condition deteriorated so much. He could neither teach Mama further about the game nor keep up the regular classes with Elijah. He died about a month after he had been rushed to the hospital. The doctors suspected organ failure, but he was a fit young man, and it was unfathomable to anybody who knew him that he would suffer something like that at such a young age. On his express request, his body was cremated, and his ashes were strewn around the Mirror of Magico.

What a strange dying wish, Elijah remembered thinking.

Elijah stopped playing for about a year. He stuffed the badminton racket to the farthest corner of the cabinet under the stairs. He couldn’t bear to look at it without missing his father. The house fell quiet after his father’s roaring laughter was gone.

Perhaps the only reason Elijah had even started playing again was his mom. One day, a year after his dad’s death, he came down the stairs in the morning, sleepy eyed and messy haired, and saw his mom caressing the badminton racket in her hand. She had found it when she was cleaning out the cupboard. She looked up as she felt Elijah entering the room. He thought he had seen just a hint of a tear in her eye. She smiled tenderly as she extended her arm and held out the racket to Elijah.

Elijah recoiled, as if touching the racket would bring back the terrible time in the wake of his father’s death that they had both just started putting behind them.

Please? she said softly. Teach me?

Elijah didn’t say anything for a moment. He wasn’t sure he even remembered how to play anymore, but he couldn’t refuse his mom. I . . . I’m not sure I know how to play anymore, he stammered, hoping his mom would let it go herself.

I’m sure you do. Your father always said he saw a lot of potential in you.

Elijah lowered his gaze. Okay. He gave in.

His mother’s face lit up. Great. Let’s try it out in the evening. I’m going to make you some breakfast. Poached eggs sound good? She was already on her way to the kitchen without waiting for Elijah’s answer.

Elijah looked at the badminton racket in his hand. He gripped it just like his dad had taught him. The racket felt sturdy and heavy in his hand. He carefully placed it against the wall and freshened up before going to the kitchen to help his mom.

***

When he and his mom had set the breakfast table, in strutted Elijah’s little six-year-old sister, holding on to her stuffed monkey. She was still rubbing her eyes as she climbed into a chair at the table and demanded eggs.

Good morning, monkey, Elijah greeted her and ruffled her already messy hair.

She had been only one year old when their father died. Elijah wondered how his mother had managed to raise two kids while dealing with the intense grief of losing her only support and companion. He looked over at his mother as he settled down opposite his sister at the table. She didn’t look it, but that gentle woman was a tower of strength. He couldn’t have done it if he were in her place, Elijah thought.

Elijah realized that they had been dealt a particularly hard hand in life, not that they were ever rich to begin with, but after his father’s death, the little money that was flowing in stopped too. His mom worked two shifts at the nearby restaurant as a waitress to make ends meet. They got by just fine, though they had no savings and no ideas.

As she served the poached eggs to her kids, normal conversation ensued. His dad’s empty chair still sat there, but nobody touched it. It’d been four years since his father’s death now; they had adjusted to life without him.

Elijah? His mother was snapping her fingers in front of his face.

He had zoned out completely. Sorry, what were you saying?

Have you thought about the school yet?

What school? Elijah was baffled. School’s off for the summer.

The sports school that your father had gone to?

Oh. Now Elijah understood. His father had always said he was going to send Elijah to a great sports academy. Now that Elijah was in middle school, Elijah’s mom brought it up again and told him to consider it, but he hadn’t, really. He hadn’t thought about it yet. To be honest, he didn’t want to go. He had friends here, and it was a comfortable environment surrounded by people whom Elijah had known his entire life.

Mom, I think I’m going to pass. I don’t want to switch schools.

His mother had clearly not been expecting that response, and her face fell. Why not?

Well, I like this school. What’s the point of moving to another school?

It’s a sports academy. You will be better able to focus on badminton and—who knows?—maybe pursue it as a career someday.

I . . . I don’t know, Mom. Isn’t it like expensive?

It is, but children of alumni get a discount, so it won’t be too heavy on our pockets. Besides, you don’t need to worry about that.

I . . .

Besides, your dad really wanted you to go. And so do I. I have seen how good you are at badminton, and I don’t think that’s a talent that should be put to waste.

Mom—

I’d like you to take a day more to think about this, please. It’s a great opportunity, and it will be good for you. Think sensibly, Elijah.

Elijah stayed quiet. It was quite obvious that his mother only wanted one response and was not ready to listen to anything else. After breakfast, he went up to his room and took out the brochures of the school his mom had given him.

Omega Sports Academy. Hmmm, he mumbled to himself.

It was close by, so that definitely counted as a plus. As he read through the brochure, he noticed a picture at the bottom-left corner of the page. Elijah squinted to make out the faces of a bunch of Omega Sports Academy alumni posing for a picture.

At first, he didn’t recognize him. He was younger, with almost no facial hair and no glasses. He was nothing like what Elijah had remembered of his dad, and yet it was unmistakably him in the photo.

Elijah smiled. Omega Sports Academy couldn’t be all that bad if his father loved it.

Chapter 2

JOANNA

Margaret, can you please make spinach risotto for lunch today? It’s Joanna’s favorite. It’s gonna be a special day today.

The faint, muffled sound of Joanna’s mother instructing the cook reached her ears as she stared up at her ceiling, wide awake but not ready to get out of bed. She had a faint idea of what her mother was up to. She had found some brochures in her study a few days back about a new school. She was sure the conversation would be coming up soon.

Her mother had never liked her middle school. She was always of the opinion that Joanna was too good for public school. Joanna had fought to stay; she loved her school, and she loved her friends. She had a big group of girlfriends whom Joanna loved hanging out with, and she didn’t want to be anywhere else. Sure, she knew that her parents could afford to send her to whatever school she chose, no matter how expensive, but she had never wanted more. She knew it was incomprehensible to them. Why would a girl who could have anything choose to be happy with mediocrity?

A short rap on the door brought her back to the world.

Joanna, honey, are you awake? called out her mother’s voice.

She stayed quiet. Another rap sounded throughout her room. Joanna still didn’t answer. Eventually, she heard her mother’s footsteps shuffling away. She threw the covers off herself and glanced at the clock. It was 11:00 a.m. already. She took out her laptop and sent a message to all her friends to meet at her house after lunch. Perfect! she thought. Even if her mom tried to talk to her about it, Joanna would have a reason to escape.

She got up and threw aside the purple drapes. The sunlight blinded her for a second as it kissed her skin and illuminated every inch of her large room. There was a walk-in closet at the far end of the room and a small round area that Joanna and her mom had sectioned off to be used as Joanna’s dancing area. A small table there held a beautiful antique tape recorder, with tons of cassettes piled up beside it. The floor held a large plush round rug, and a full-sized mirror adorned the opposite wall so Joanna could observe herself while she danced. Another table beside the tape recorder held a bunch of awards and trophies that Joanna had accumulated over the years, competing in dance competitions across the country and even one abroad.

Joanna was talented; she knew it, and her parents had not spared any expense when it came to her teaching and training. For as long as she remembered, she had had countless dance teachers who had themselves been world-class dancers, and they had come over to train her. As a child, she remembered grumbling about it when she would not be allowed to go to birthday parties and sleepovers because she had dance lessons the next day. Her parents had been very invested in her journey as a dancer and wanted to see her perform on huge international platforms someday.

While Joanna appreciated all that her parents had done to make Joanna the dancer that she was, she sometimes wished they’d get off her back. Her parents were great; don’t get her wrong. It was just that Joanna wanted to have a normal life, like her friends. They