The Time Thief
an excerpt

"You," the politician whispered, voice raspier than it had been half an hour ago. "You're a magician, aren't you?"

The young man lifted his head up so to look the politician in the eye. His gaze was a piercing blue gray, and held a malicious glint. He slowly nodded.

The politician let out a bark of laughter. "I should have known," he spat, furrowing his eyebrows, "that it was a stupid magician behind all this."

There was a silence. And then the dust started to swirl around the politician faster, the green circle pulsating. A moan escaped the politician as he could feel his bones grow brittle, his skin sink, his head bow. His chest constricted, and whether it was from aging or fear, he did not know. "Why..." he croaked, breathing becoming harder. "Why are you doing this...?"

"Because," the young man said slowly, his small smile growing into a knowing smirk, "it's as you say..."

The politician gave out a gasp as he sunk to his knees. The green circle around him faded into the carpet, and he fell onto his face. His inky hair had faded to a light gray, his skin had shriveled up, his body shrinking. He looked up at the young man, his intense dark blue eyes now an unfocused blue.

"...time is of the essence."