A Mage's Guide to True Magic

[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] There are a few facts to consider in a mage’s life: The world ended, but not really. Magic is energy but also is everything. And Wanily will be the Archmage and save everyone. ... Well, we’ll see about that last one, won’t we? The only kind of people in the world are those trying to live their lives. Whether they be petty criminals, aspiring mages, simple townsfolk, or masterminds working to bend society to their will, they are all just trying to make their mark on the world before they are gone forever. So how come so many of these people from different walks of life keep meeting a curious girl named Wanily? Why does she want nothing more than to be the most powerful mage in all the land? And why is she so fixed on helping people? Once, humanity was ruled only by the laws of the old gods; then, they were governed by the principles of the new ones. But the world is changing once again. Magic is becoming the center of everything, but so is the means to control it.  And you know what they say: a rolling stone gathers no moss. But, what they don’t say? From Moss we came, and to Moss, he’ll make sure we return.