Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Magic... It was never really something I thought I could come face to face with, especially not when I lived in a world where it was only used to create fairytales. It was otherworldly. Unknown. That was, of course, until I came in direct contact with it.

Who would've thought that one day I was attending school, going with my everyday life like it was nothing more than a routine, and the next - I'd be walking into a castle full of... well, witches.

Bizarre, right? No shit... Even I didn't fully understand it at first, but let's start at the beginning, like every other story.

It was a day like any other. I woke up, got ready for school, and was on my way. Nothing interesting, right?

After I was done for the day, I did the usual - heading straight towards the only place in this world that felt close to home. An abandoned building, situated at the far ends of Gardenia, a place where not a single soul had the courage to go. Perfect for me.

As I reached the entrance, the familiar smell of stale, thick air greeted me, and in any other situation I'd find it revolting, but right now, it was the only air I wanted to breathe.

I made my way inside the two story building, strolling towards the stairs, climbing each and every step with hidden anticipation. From there, I walked towards the plain balcony, letting the evening air fill my lungs. My hand went to my pocket almost instinctively, fishing out one thing in particular. The special little metallic case I always carried. I retrieved a cigarette, igniting it just as quickly, thankful for the little distraction from this world. This was how most of my days dragged on - attending school, then disappearing from the face of Earth in a forgotten, deserted building.

The cool air tossed my hair around as I took a puff, leaning against the wall. Thoughts formed at the back of my head, lingering on the background of this place. For most of my time here I wondered what it used to be like when there were lives dwelling inside. Sometimes I imagined a family of three, four, maybe even five, sitting at the table at dinner, going back and forth about each other's day. A simple life. A normal life. Unfortunately not something I was entirely familiar with.

Before I could let my thoughts carry on, I heard a shuffling sound from inside the house, my nerves instantly catching on edge.

Unsure whether I should go inside and check what was happening, I gripped my phone, knowing I could call emergency services if it turned out to be a homeless drunken person. But then again, they wouldn't do much, knowing how things were here, chances of them even arriving were small. So, with a burning cigarette in one hand, I put my phone back inside and pulled out one of my needle-point knives, holding it firmly towards my body. I had more trust in it, anyway.

The shuffling continued, sending me further on edge. With one last steadying breath, I made my way inside, doing my best to keep as quiet as I could. It was coming from downstairs, and now I was close enough to hear a few voices hanging in the air.

"Where on Magix are we, Darcy? No one even lives here!"

"The cards told me she'd be here, just have some patience, Stormy."

Darcy? Stormy? What in the fuck's sake were these names...?

I didn't know who those people were, but I sure as hell knew I didn't mind jumping from that balcony. And as much as I would've loved that, my curiosity got the better of me.

Slowly and swiftly, I took a few steps down the stairs, trying to make as little sound as I could.

"Yeah? Well screw your cards, this place is obviously empty!"

"Nobody fucking move, I've got a knife!" I yelled, jumping from the stairs while pointing the dagger straight at whoever was in the house.

My eyes scanned what I assumed was the living room, brows furrowing as I was looking at three girls, not far from my age. The one on the left had her arms crossed, one bored and bitchy look resting on her face. Her hair was long, almost snowy white, tied in a slick ponytail. Just by looking at her I felt as if thousands of chills had been sent all over my body. I could tell she might not be a person I wanted to mess with. The one in the middle looked a notch calmer, although her frizzy grayish purple hair looked as if it had been struck by a lightning, and the one on the right...

I... wasn't sure words could capture her beauty.

"Do you even know how to use that?" The girl standing in the middle laughed with a mock, pointing towards the dagger in my hand.

I knew what I was about to do next would probably get me in a really shitty situation, but I couldn't help swinging the dagger straight towards her, purposefully missing only by an inch. Its blade went past her face, puncturing the wall behind her. Her eyes widened, but she didn't say a word.

"Yeah, I do, and I've got two more, so stay the fuck back." I bit back.

"Mm, do you now?" the alluring girl on the right smirked, lifting her hand up. In it, she was holding two daggers, awfully similar to mine. My heart picked up speed as I put a hand on the outside of my pockets, trying to feel the blades which I always carried there. But the pockets felt nothing short of empty, causing me to look back at her, now with a dumbfounded face.

"How the hell did you do that!?" I tried my best to keep the nerves to myself, but who wouldn't react my way when they find themselves with three unknown women in a completely abandoned building...?

"She's got a temper, I like her already," the one in the middle spoke again, now smiling. I might've not known who they were, but I could tell this one was probably a complete psycho.

"Shut it, Stormy," the girl on the left hissed, locking eyes with me. Her serious gaze made me feel so uneasy, it was just enough to get my heart beating rapidly again. "You must be Valentine, right?"

I froze in place, my fingers almost letting go of the cigarette I was holding. "How do you know my name?"

"Enough with the questions. We're going to need you to come with us."

"I'm sorry, who even are you people?!"

"That hard ass is Icy, and, as the name suggest, she's not the sweetest one," the girl on the right spoke, her voice so intoxicating. "The one beside me is Stormy, and my name's Darcy." Darcy... "Now, I know this whole situation is beyond absurd, and you've probably got dozens of questions, but we can't answer them yet, at least not here."

"Where, then?" I asked, suspicion already creeping at the back of my head.

"If you want to believe what we're saying you might as well see it for yourself, right? If you come with us, I promise, all your questions will be answered."

"And where exactly are you people taking me...? That's, of course, assuming I'd even say yes."

"Again, if you want to know, you'd have to see it with your own eyes. So are you in on this or not?"

Suddenly, it felt as if all of my certainty had vanished, leaving me with a head full of doubt. I had never seen these women in my life, weirdly enough they didn't even look like they were from this world. Who knew what could happen if I agreed on this bizarre offer, I mean... What if they sold my organs on the black market?!

True, I had countless questions, but I wasn't sure risking my life for something like this was worth it. Especially when I was put on the spot to decide.

"Yeah, I don't think so, I don't fucking trust you, and I don't fucking know you," I shrugged, reaching for my lighter.

As I lit my cigarette and took another puff to properly ignite it, I heard the silver haired girl scoff a chuckle, locking my eyes with one almost surprised look. As if a "no" was the last thing she expected. "Let me put this another way, Valentine, you don't really have much of a choice here. We were sent to find and reach you, to take you back with us. There's someone that has to talk to you, and you're coming, even if it's the last thing you ever do," her tone was almost threatening, causing anger to flood my nerves.

"Oh, yeah? Well then tell whoever wants to see me to fuck off," I bit back, scowling at her. For a moment I almost felt my pulse steadying, until I took a little look to the left, realizing Darcy was no longer in my field of vision.

Panic spread through me as I suddenly felt someone behind me, forcefully grabbing my throat and pulling me back. By instinct I tugged at her hand, trying my best to free myself from her grip, but it was of no use. She was much stronger than me.

"Let me go!" I murmured with an uneasy breath.

And then, her head lowered towards my right ear, her hot breath tickling my skin, setting goosebumps off like they were little time bombs. "Sleep."

That was the last thing I heard before my eyes closed almost forcefully, everything around me becoming a dark blur.

×

"Honey... Honey? My, the movie hasn't even started and you're already asleep, hm?"

×

With a gasp, I shot my eyes open, frantically scanning everything around me. My chest moved up and down rapidly, breath catching in my dry throat. This dream again...

Confused, I looked around the room I was in, panic settling at the back of my head when I realized I had absolutely no idea where on earth I was. Suddenly, something on the right caught my attention, making me turn towards it. It was a piece of paper, folded in half, text written on the inside.

With a shaky hand I grabbed the paper, opening it.

Wait for us until we finish classes, won't be long.

- D.

Classes? Wait for who...?

Suddenly it hit me like a harsh slap across my face - previous memories flooding my brain, although blurry. Those three psychos, I saw them in the abandoned building. But where the fuck was I now, then?

Glancing around as if looking for clues that could indicate where exactly I was, I noticed three other beds, one in my current room, the other two facing us from the far parallel wall, a passage splitting them into two identical spaces. I glanced at my right, seeing the light coming from the huge windows, their frames resembling spider webs. The whole room had a dark, gothic vibe to it, something I found extremely pleasant, but it didn't help ease my nerves. At least I wasn't tied to the bed, and... I still had all of my organs... right?

Suddenly, the doors opened wide, distant chattering echoing through the air. I quickly looked towards the entrance, seeing the same three girls from the day before.

"Somebody pinch me so I know I'm not dreaming this whole shit," I murmured, cautiously looking at them.

Darcy chuckled, adjusting her colored glasses, "I keep forgetting you earthlings aren't accustomed to this type of realms."

"Realms...? What the hell are you talking about? Where even am I?" I got up as they approached, the silver haired girl closing the doors shut, making sure no one was eavesdropping. Her icy gaze then locked mine, and that's when I remembered her name. Icy. And the frizzy haired one must be Stormy...

"You can take all your questions with our headmistress, Griffin, she requested to see you so we're here to escort you. Cloud Tower tends to be a bit... perplexing." Icy grinned, crossing her arms.

"Fine, lead the way then," I sighed, already wanting to get my hands on all the answers I could. Everything that had happened in the last few hours felt so unreal, as if I wasn't really here, as if all this was too offbeat.

"Darcy, Stormy, you can wait here." Her word sounded final, I was starting to wonder if perhaps she was the harshest of them. Then Darcy's words from yesterday came to mind, when she called Icy a hard ass. Maybe it wasn't far from the truth.

I approached as the door was once more opened, but I didn't leave without stealing one last look at Darcy, only to find her curious gaze lingering after me. That little glance was enough to bring warmth to my cheeks, making me hurry out of the room.

Icy followed behind, her signature bitchy face still visible.

For a few minutes we strolled through different corridors, wrapped in an awkward silence, but it gave me time to look around the place. It was weird, to say the least, the hallways weren't your usual high school styled paths with lockers on each side, instead, it was mostly classroom doors, and a few antiques placed on differently shaped wooden platforms. When I lifted my gaze up, I noticed the weird looks on some girls' faces, making me frown in exchange. What so awful could they be looking at? Was it my hair...?

I brushed my hand through the blond locks, adding some volume to my hair. I used one of the classroom windows to check my reflection and realized there was nothing wrong with it. My clothes, however... I had chosen a velvet halter top, along with baggy low-rise jeans, since the weather still had it's warm days, but I stood out compared to the people around me. Their clothes were freakish, but in the best way possible. Many had their hair dyed, wore dark colored clothing, had flawless make-up on. And there I was, looking like a teen from the 2000s. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but it definitely didn't match the atmosphere around me.

After a while I snapped out of my transfix, realizing we were still walking in silence. My heart picked up speed as my brain wondered what I could say to break the awkwardness. "So... if I can't ask any questions about this place, can I at least ask who you are?"

To that she responded with a scoff, raising an eyebrow as she turned to look at me, "Well, I'm one of the most exceptional first year witches, along with my sisters, and honestly you should feel lucky to be seen walking with me through the hallways," she crossed her hands, one unapologetic smile confidently resting on her face. They were sisters? My, something wrong must've happened...

To her words, I lazily lifted my brows, almost as if unimpressed by her bold conviction, "Right, because you steal some nerd's lunchbox during break?"

Her face quickly changed, her confidence faltered, she was obviously pulled aback by the comment. Almost like she didn't even see it coming... "Uh, no, because I can easily beat any other student in a match, and everybody knows that," she murmured, glancing back at the front, "This is Ms. Griffin's office, the headmistress of the school, she's the one who can answer all of your little questions."

"Okay then, thanks for the escort," I gave her a half-fake smile, putting a hand on the doorknob. Icy scoffed another time, and without saying anything else, left. I stayed in one place for a moment, feeling a rush of adrenaline enter my system. True I wasn't even a student here, and I wasn't arriving for something like detention, but I was nervous about the answers to my questions. After all, I still didn't know where I was, and things around seemed just too bizarre. I must be tripping on acid...

With a deep breath, I pushed the doubtful thoughts to the back of my head, knocking on the door. After hearing a faint "Come in" from the other side, I pushed the door open. My eyes landed on an older woman with a very... strange style of hair and clothing, and on top of that she didn't seem like the type who let carelessness slide.

"Ah, and you must be Valentine, correct?" She quickly abandoned her doings, now delivering her attention to me. Her gaze was sharp, her posture - straight, definitely didn't look like a person I wanted to mess with.

"That's right, and I was told you wanted to see me," I spoke almost unsure, as if doubting this whole situation to be true.

"Well, you might want to sit down for this, since you, yourself, are a pretty interesting specimen," she remarked, strangely enough without showing much of an emotion. I frowned at her words, taking a seat in front of her spacious desk. "As I've recently looked upon... How should I put this, non-earthly activities, I had noticed two different lights shine on the surface of my crystal ball, both coming from your city, Gardenia," she considered her own words for a moment, reflecting on them with a small upward tug of her lip, "One of them turned out to be a fairy, now studying amongst girls of the same nature, so my question is," she leaned against her comfortably seeming chair, folding her hands, "will the other... turn out to be a witch?"

For a moment it felt like something had zapped me, exactly after she had finished speaking. Fairies? Witches? All of this still felt like a really bad trip.

"I'm sorry, but... I don't," I chuckled, almost sarcastically, shaking my head, "I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't," she confirmed, as if this whole time she was expecting just these words. "How could you, when fairies, witches, every other magical being can only be met in fantasy books on Earth, am I wrong?"

"Actually, a bull's eye on the truth, which is exactly why I'm concerned. You all act as if... as if all this magic-talk is real," I remarked, trying to ease the uprising in my stomach. Everything that happened in the spam of a day was just too bizarre, too hard to perceive as real. Yesterday I was on an abandoned balcony, smoking my cigarette, and now I'm standing in some woman's office as she's talking about magical beings. How the hell was I actually supposed to think all of this was real?

"I don't expect you to believe my words, in fact, I'm fully aware you must take all of this for a dream that just feels too realistic, that is why I wanted to show you exactly what I mean," as she uttered these words, she swiftly rose from her chair, beckoning me to do the same.

I stood up, my knees slightly trembling, as if my whole body was unsure of the situation.

"Come," she motioned as she headed towards the door, opening it so both of us could leave the room.

Corridor after a corridor, and I was starting to get a little dizzy in the head. Every corner, every step felt like it was a different place, like it had nothing to do with the hallway we were just in.

Eventually, she stopped in her tracks, my eyes gazing up to find a huge door in front of us, with muffled banging sounds from the other side. The headmistress pushed the wooden surface open, revealing students practicing inside.

As I took a better look, my heart almost stopped, eyes widening by the second. It wasn't a casual practice, they were moving things without actually touching them, summoning beings out of thin air, controlling elements with bare hands.

I took a step back, feeling as if the space around me was shaking, as if my lungs couldn't fill with air. I didn't know how to reach to any of this, I couldn't even manage to perceive it as real, even though I was standing right in front of that room.

"I think I'm gonna pass out," I murmured, eyes still locked to the scenery in front of me. "This... what the fuck?"

"I know, take a deep breath, you're not dreaming, this is real. You're just not accustomed to it yet, but that will change with time," she said, closing the door as if slightly fearing I was actually passing out. "Now, are you ready for a second round of magic talk?" She grinned, glancing at me.

My breath had started to steady, but my eyes were still glued to the door, head banging with questions and uncertainty. I'd watched numerous movies and shows about... well, magic, mystical beings, but this... this was different, seeing it in real life was different. It was something my mind couldn't yet comprehend.

"Yeah... I think I am," I breathed out, finally finding the courage to look at her.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

"Now, the fact that magic has been lost on Earth for decades on end is an attribution to your disbelief, and it's to be expected, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to become accustomed to it, however it might take more strength than usual," Ms. Griffin leaned in, eyes locked with mine. "Fear not, it is exactly why I've assigned my most exceptional students to fill you in on everything, since, well, the school year has started."

"Wait, wait," I chuckled, frowning, "So you're saying you're... offering me to, what? Study here?" I asked skeptically.

"Well, I can't leave such potential wasted, now, can I?" She smirked, crossing her hands.

"Look, I don't want to be rude or anything, but... until today I had no idea your... world existed, and I've never even considered myself holding any magical power, or whatever it is you call it here. I'm just a normal girl, Miss, I'm no magician," I murmured, eyes leaving hers in a saddened gaze, "It must've been somebody else your crystal ball has pointed out to, not me."

"Oh, dear, this old relic is never wrong, so don't let your confidence falter. What I am offering you is a chance to rediscover yourself, to finally unlock all that has been kept hidden underneath numerous layers year after year. True, you weren't aware of your capabilities so far, but now's a good time for a change, don't you think?"

I considered her words in my head, even considered leaving the life I used to have back home, erasing my past and starting again, tabula rasa as they called it, and suddenly my eyes widened, stomach twisting into a tight knot. Fuck, my dad...

"I can't," I said firmly, breath shallow in my throat. I needed to go back, fuck, I've been gone for longer than a day, he'd murder me.

"You... can't?" She repeated, eyeing me suspiciously.

"My dad, he'd kill me, I need to go back." With pleading eyes, I made sure my words sounded final. Fear caused the hairs on my neck to straighten, stomach twisting and pulling harsher. Even if I was to choose this world, to choose magic, I couldn't leave without a trace, it wasn't that easy.

Miss Griffin let out one defeated sigh, standing up, "Well then, if you're certain about it, I'll escort you back to the girls' dorm and they'll take it from there. However," she locked eyes with me, "Do think about my words once you're back, would you? I know this is a huge change, but it doesn't have to be a bad one. View it as an opportunity, nothing else."

"I'll make sure I do," I replied, heart hammering against my chest. My brain had gone into a rabbit hole of harrowing possibilities, dreading even stepping a foot back on Earth. But I had to go back, I couldn't stay here, no matter how appealing everything sounded.

Chapter Text

Caterpillars raged in my stomach as we walked back to the dorm room, the students giving me a weird look once in a while, making my cheeks flush into a pale shade of pink, my eyes mindlessly scanning the corridors which unraveled before us.

"Here we are, then," Ms. Griffin said, knocking on the door before opening it. Inside, Icy was sitting on her bed, practicing a spell, ice shards floating above her hands, forming a small blizzard, Stormy was simply lying down, hands supporting her head while Darcy was reading a thick ancient book on her bed. When we entered, their attention shifted upon us, questioning looks resting on their faces. "I need one of you to escort Valentine back to Earth, she has made her choice of staying on her home planet."

Icy snickered, eyes landing on me, "I knew it. Told you, Miss Griffin, earthlings are just too hard to convince," she smirked, the spell quickly evaporating from her hands. "So, who's going back there?" She asked, looking at the two other girls in the room.

Silence followed for a long moment, before it was cut short by Darcy, "I'll take her, I need to practice my summoning spells, anyway."

"It's arranged then, whenever you're ready, Valentine," Griffin said, turning to leave.

"Thanks for the escort," I looked towards Darcy nervously, a hand creeping up my neck. Her casual expression stayed the same, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"It's no problem. Shall we go then?"

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

After a little while of strolling down the different corridors, we finally made our way towards the exit, the clean air uplifting the weight on my shoulders.

"So, what made you wish to go back?" She asked as we walked trough the greenery, breaking the small silence.

"As unique as everything looks, I have things to get back to," I murmured, already dreading it.

"Like... what?"

"Well, for one, a crazy father who's going to flip out when I come back home, and for second, I can't just... leave. Might be easy for you, but it wouldn't be for me," I said, sighing. "If it was up to me, I'd definitely give it a go, but even then, I doubt I'm fit for actual... I don't know, superpowers?"

"Witchcraft and fairy magic aren't for the "fit", if Griffin saw the ball glowing, and if that shimmer was you, then it's you. Just because you haven't found your sparkle doesn't mean you won't ever," she assured me, giving me a small smile. "And besides, I'm sure this won't be the last time we see each other."

There was something more to her words, as if she could look into the future, that's the confidence she spoke. And yet, at the moment I was so sure I'd never even have another chance to see this place, or her for that matter, but I tried my best to push the thought away.

Eventually we reached a more secluded area, a dozen feet into the forest surrounding the school.

"You ready to go back?" She turned towards me, one questioning gaze lingering in her eyes.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I sighed, gazing up at her.

Her hands rose, dark purple mist erupting from them, until she channeled it in front of her. Suddenly, a hole gaped out of the thin air, growing more massive in size with every second, its alluring colors spreading through the breeze like small flames. When the hole had reached a human-sized level, she motioned for me to enter. "After you."

With that I took one unsure step, walking towards the other side. Everything around me switched in a blur for a fragment of a second, one moment I was in the forest, the next I was standing in front of the abandoned house back on Earth.

A small sound came from behind me, making me turn to look around. Darcy came to view as she exited the portal.

"I hope this isn't a bad location, it's the only place I managed to memorize here."

"No, it's okay, I can walk back to my place," I gave her a small appreciative smile.

"I can walk with you, if you don't mind. To make sure you've got home safely, of course," she nervously hurried up to add, as if she seemed intrusive. As if.

"I don't mind at all," I returned the smile, gazing at the front, "this way, then."

We walked through the streets of Gardenia, the light autumn breeze pushing strands of my hair away from my face, filling my lungs with air. The truth was I liked it here, it had its flaws like any other city, but it was full of nature, and I appreciated that. But even that wasn't enough to keep me rooted here. If the choice had landed fully upon my hands, I'd be gone in a heartbeat. It was my father who made things difficult. He'd never let me leave this place, at least not before I had 18 and could do it legally. Thank fuck that was only a year and a half away.

"You know, I've never been to Earth before," Darcy broke the small silence wrapped around us.

I glanced at her with one doubtful face, scoffing, "What, really?"

"A planet which holds barely any magic has never really caught my eye. I find it so peculiar how you've pushed yourselves away from it, left it forgotten. I wonder why that is."

"I didn't even know we had any magical history, they always teach the boring stuff at school."

"School's not your thing, then?" She asked, a small smile stuck on her lips.

"I like some subjects, philosophy and arts will forever have a place in my heart, but classes like maths and physics are just unbearable," I cringed at the thought of even having to go to school tomorrow.

"Maths and physics? My, how different things are here," she chuckled.

"What, you don't have the boring stuff at the castle?"

"Don't forget Cloud Tower is driven by magic, so naturally we'd have subjects like spell crafts, alchemy, curses and hexes, all the usual."

"The usual? I've never even heard a person say all this out loud," I giggled nervously, giving her another far-fetched look.

"Well, staying here or moving there is your call, it's your choice to make."

"I wish it was that simple," I sighed, looking back to the front. My street came to view, and eventually - the house. "Well, that over there's me, thank you again for walking with me," I turned to look at her, appreciation written on my face.

"You're welcome, Val," she smiled sweetly, adjusting her tainted glasses. "While you're here, do think about your options, or at least try to live with the idea of finding your power. Staying at Magix doesn't have to be forever, but it could be a new chapter in your life."

"I'll be giving it a thought. Oh, and, by the way, if you're going to do that portal thing, maaaybe try doing it in a more secluded area. You know, just so you don't wind up on the first five seconds on the news."

She chuckled, shaking her head, "I'll keep it in mind. Goodbye for now, then."

"Bye, and thanks again for everything." And with that, we parted ways. 

I made my way towards the house, my guts twisting further with every step. 

As I reached the entrance, I pulled my keys out and nervously twisted the doorknob.

"Valentine?" A raspy voice came through the kitchen, angry and fierce.

"Yeah, it's me," I gulped, trying to calm my nerves.

Dad came to view, holding a half empty beer bottle, his steps clumsy and rash. "Where the fuck were you, girl!?" He yelled, taking a few steps closer. I swear, I could smell his horrible breath from the entrance. "Didn't come back home last night, didn't go to school today, you're in some deep shit, I'll tell you that," he kept getting closer, making me back away.

"Some stuff came up, okay? I'm sorry," I murmured, looking to the side. 

"Oh, you're sorry?" He mocked, towering over me, "A simple word won't do you any good." And with that, his sturdy hand came in direct contact with my face, the blow so harsh I lost my balance, falling on the ground. A yelp escaped my trembling lips, the taste of metal already present in my mouth. "Next time you get the idea of disappearing without a word, think about the consequences first," he pulled me up by the hair, landing another blow to my face. "Now go to your fucking room, I don't want to see you for the rest of the day," he uttered, releasing his grip from my hair.

Without saying a word, I hurried up the stairs and towards my room, trying my best to keep my balance. I slammed the door shut, tears already prickling at the corners of my eyes, breath caught in my throat. 

My feet carried me to the bathroom, hands steadying my body against the sink. My head lifted towards the mirror as I looked at the damage my dad had made. Blood had smeared on my skin from the opened cut on my lip, my cheek crimson red from his other punch. Tears and blood mixed, small whimpers escaped my mouth, suffocated by the deafening silence around me.

I stared at myself for a few seconds, with each that passed, my breaths fastened, heart hammering against my ribcage. I felt helpless, weak and on edge, the room felt as if it were shrinking, ringing noise tormenting my ears. Everything was pilling up, I couldn't harness my emotions, I couldn't do anything. 

I gripped the sink tighter, trying and failing to get a normal dose of oxygen. I stared at myself until I couldn't take it anymore. My eyes closed, only for a second. A sharp breaking sound cut through my ragged breaths, causing me to look back up. I widened my eyes as I stared.

The mirror in front of me had shattered into pieces, barely held together in one place. I looked down, staring at my hands. They were still against the surface. My whole body hadn't moved an inch, and yet, in front of me hanged a shattered mirror.

"This can't be fucking happening," I whispered to myself, taking a step away.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

I had waited until my dad dozed off to sleep, sneaking out of the house as careful as I could.

The evening breeze tossed my hair to the sides, cooling off my reddish cheeks. I had to stay up for hours, just waiting for him to pass out on the couch in front of the tv. If there was one thing I could thank alcohol for, was that it made him sleep like a baby. 

I pulled out a cigarette and lit it eagerly, inhaling the smoke slowly, then let it out. Finally I felt free. No one on my as- tail, barely any people outside. I liked it when darkness struck, despite its creepy people walking at night. I had my knives, and I knew how to use them.

After countless minutes of roaming around, my eyes finally caught sight of the abandoned building, a small smile tugging at my lips.

As I passed the entrance, my feet carried me directly to the stairs, and then to the balcony on the second floor. The place was situated on a hill, not a big one in size, but a part of Gardenia unraveled itself before you, its shimmering warm lights, its usually busy streets with people and vehicles, its calming parks and greenery, and it was even better at night.

Most of my time here I'd spend just gazing up and down the different houses and apartments, thinking what other people's lives were like. Sometimes I'd see the same couples going out for breakfast together in the morning, and then dining back at their place for dinner. This abandoned place set the beginning and end for me each day, and funny enough, it was the only place that ever felt close to home. 

I lit another cigarette, gripping it with my index and middle, then leaned against the facade. My eyes continued scanning the different homes, head occupied by thoughts. Everything was different at night, like it revealed the truth about who a person really is.

"You're not so wrong there," somebody murmured from the side, making me jump out of my skin.

"Jeeesus! Where the hell did you come from!?" I stared at Darcy wide-eyed, watching as a small chuckle erupted from her mouth.

"Sorry, I have a habit of sneaking up on people. You might have to get used to it," she smirked, glancing at my cigarette. "What's that?"

"What, this?" A brow shot up as I lifted the thing, "It's a cigarette. You don't have a smoking habit on Magix?" I laughed, taking a puff, noticing the way she was studying my actions, as if she had actually never seen a person smoke.

"No, not that I've ever witnessed it. What does it do, anyway?"

"Well, it sort of takes away your stress... And maybe a few years of your life, because it's not the healthiest habit," I cleared my throat and scoffed, "But anyway, why are you here?"

"Uhh, well," she looked away, "For one because Icy and Stormy were this close to tearing each other's heads off, and because I wanted to give Earth one more chance," she winked, fully turning towards me. Suddenly, her brows furrowed as she came closer, "What's that on your lip?" Her expression shifted, now more concerned.

Unable to keep her gaze, I looked down turning to the side, "Nothing to worry about-" before I could even finish the sentence, her hand had already crept up my cheek, slightly turning my face her way.

"It looks deep," she kept looking at me, her gaze almost burning a hole straight through my head, as if trying to read my thoughts. "Who's done it?" She whispered, her thumb tracing up and down my cheek, causing my breath to stop almost entirely. 

I let out a small scoff, a lopsided smile resting on my face, "Three guesses."

"It... wasn't your father, was it?"

"Ding, ding, ding!" I murmured, looking up at her.

Her gaze fell on my lips once more, then returned to mine, an unreadable expression on her face, "May I?"

"Yeah?" I said confusedly.

Her thumb gently glided over my lip, pressing slightly, causing me to release a small hiss.

"Shh, don't move," she whispered. A tingling sensation moved through my lips, until I couldn't feel any pain at all. Darcy smiled softly, taking a step away, the place where her hand had been, now exposed fully to the chilly air.

"Thanks..." I blurted out, head almost empty.

"It's no problem," she stole one last glance at me before turning her head, leaning against the concrete, "Does he do this often?" She asked without looking at me, gaze stuck at the city before us. 

"Only when he's drunk," I murmured, taking another puff from the cigarette.

"And does he drink often?" She insisted.

"Yeah..." My gaze fell upon the ground. She didn't say anything else, only let the words hang in the heavy silence. "When I ran to my room," I started, wanting to switch the talk, "when I went inside the bathroom, I had my hands support me by holding onto the sink... Eventually it all felt too much and all I wanted was to close my eyes. When I opened them, the mirror in front of me had shattered," I frowned, noticing her attention had also been caught, "My hands hadn't moved an inch, yet there was a broken mirror right there. What the hell does that mean, Darcy?" I let out a heavy sigh.

She stayed silent for a moment, then turned towards me, "Take it however you want to take it, Valentine. If you want to admit to yourself that magic exists and is in your possession, then pin it on your prosperous talent. If you want to hear nothing more of it, blame it on some greater force," she shrugged.

"Jee, maybe I broke a mirror with my fucking presence, so what? I didn't grow with it considered normal around me, and it sure will take more than a day to even begin to settle. I broke that mirror because I was raging, not because I'm powerful."

"The strongest of power comes from the strongest feelings, in most cases negative. Fear, anger, hatred, they are what gives way to your magic, which, congratulations, might mean you really were meant to be a witch," she turned towards me fully, her delicate fingers lingering against the surface of my cheek, an act which managed to catch all my attention, but not enough to hide the resentment on my face. "Val," she began, tone slightly easing, "you have the opportunity to leave this place, build something different, learn more about what's sacred... Are you really going to throw it all away because you're scared to make the first step?"

Her words hit me like a train. She was better at reading me than I was at reading myself. I wanted to back away and pretend the last two days never happened, to go back to the dull everyday life, because I had the certainty of it. This, all of this, was new, and it was a huge change. I wasn't sure if I could manage, but... I wanted to give it a go. 

"Fine, I do want to get out of this hellhole, I do want to feel like more than a worthless piece of trash," I admitted, avoiding her gaze. "But what if I fail there, too?"

"And what if you don't?" She retorted. "We can play a game of what-if's for days, but isn't it better to see for yourself?" Her brow shot up as she titled her head to the side.

"Alright, alright, you win, I will give it a chance." A smile escaped from my grasp, my eyes rolling until all you could see was the whiteness of the corners.

Her face projected one victorious smile as she whispered a small, "You won't regret it, I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, I do hope so. So, Sherlock, what do I do with my coexisting powers? I don't want to turn into the dummy of the week."

"First of all, who's this... Sherlock? And second of all, well," she gave it a thoughtful hum, "Let's give it a few days, so we aren't being rash. You've already broken a mirror, who knows what else can happen..."

"Yeah, can't be anything too weird, right?"

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

The sun shone through my curtains, its warm rays reaching my eyes, causing me to awaken.

The picture before me was blurry at first, until my eyes opened further and further apart as each blink caused the sight to clear in front of me. I looked around, nerves instantly catching on edge. Everything in my room was... flying? Levitating on top of greenish little smoke clouds? I didn't fucking know, but everything was in the fucking air. Including me, on top of my bed. 

"What... the... fuck..." I murmured to myself, eye twitching with nerves. Yeah, what's the worst that could fucking happen? You broke a mirror, why not raise your whole room up in the air, literally.

Oookay, now how the hell do I get down?

Taking a peek from above, I noticed that the bed was around three or four feet high, not more than a meter and something. Jee, what a fucking morning...

After straightening up, I pushed my feet to the side, holding myself on the bed by my hands, until I was close enough to ground to let go.

With a small thump, I landed on the ground, grabbing my phone along the way. I checked the time, had more than half an hour to get ready for school, and a text from Molly, oof course.

MDMA 💿
Dude are you like dead or something where are youuuu

wasn't feeling well yesterday, had to skip school

i know it must've been painfully boring without me

After replying to her message, I turned off my phone and looked back at the floating things in my room. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself, imagining the objects returning to their places. When I opened my eyes... they were still in the air.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I squealed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Okay, if I can't do it with my head, I'll do it with my hands."

Determent, I lifted my hands up on the bed, and pulled it down with full force. I kept pulling, but again, there was no result. Frustration built up in my system, making me grumble. Unfortunately there was only one other idea on my mind, and I'd have to swallow all my pride to do it...

I sighed, furrowing my eyebrows and lifting one hand up, full focus locked on the floating bed. "Get... on... the fucking... ground," I whispered, fumes practically steaming from my ears.

Eventually, though, I noticed how the bed lowered by an inch, and then by another. I didn't know what I was doing, but it sure as hell was working... I kept my hand in the air until all the objects in the room had returned to their previous places, exhaling almost dramatically.

"Good fucking morning to me, then," I murmured, walking to my closet. I was still on Earth, so I could choose whatever I wanted.

Eventually I settled on a white tank top, light denim baggy jeans and a graphic shirt. I was a simple girl, could get through the week only having to style blue and white while occasionally throwing another color into the palette. 

After putting additional jewelry, I brushed my hair and was on my way, already dreading even being alive. At least all I had to do for the day was survive school with whatever was happening with me. As long as I don't blow something up, I think I'll be okay. 

Finally, I made my way out of the house, as quietly as I could, then walked down the paved street, headphones already squeezing my ears. Before opening my music app, I saw another message from Molly, then clicked on it.

MDMA 💿
Ya wish fuck'o

It was a bit lonely at lunch tho

I'll be at our usual spot peace out

aye save me a sip if you get there early 

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

Lunch. Both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because you had full 40 minutes to do whatever you wanted, and a curse, because the day didn't end there. At least I hadn't had any accident so far, everything was as it should be. Well, except all the whispering around me. At least nobody had even noticed I was gone, which was nice, no attention towards me.

I grabbed a little something to munch on, then headed for the exit.

The second I left the school grounds, I pulled out my box and retrieved a cigarette, igniting it. As I walked towards out meeting spot, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, as if there was somebody, eyes glued to me. I scanned the area around me cautiously, but found nothing out of the ordinary. No shadowy figures hiding in the trees, no small steps behind me. There was nobody present, yet the feeling never left my system.

I took anther puff of my cigarette, trying to push my thoughts to the side. My eyes wandered mindlessly left and right between the trees, feet carrying me through the park until I took a turn, going into the slightly more rural part of it, with taller trees, lesser sun, bigger rocks, yada, yada.

"My, my, and if it isn't my favorite partner in crime," Molly chirped, standing up to hug me. "Where the hell were you yesterday?"

"I texted you, E, I wasn't feeling all that well. I'm alright now, though, you don't gotta worry about me."

"Eh, cheers to that," she smirked, chugging down her beer can like usual. 

"By the way, did I miss something yesterday? Everyone seems to be talking about that girl from the other class."

"Who, Bloom?"

"The redhaired pick-me, right?" I mocked, scoffing.

"Yeah, that's the one. She sorta switched schools and just left without even mentioning in advance or anything. Like... here one day and gone the next. And besides, you were also gone, so my suspicion was starting to rise up."

"Well, I'm flattered you're so worried about me, but as you can see, I'm totally fine."

"Yeah, I know you are, you stubborn ass, no one can babysit you for even two seconds," she chuckled, rolling her eyes, "Off the point, though, you think I believe that "Oh, sorry, I didn't feel well" bullshit? I know you're lying, I know there's something you're not telling me, and you know I don't care enough to beg you, so... whenever you're ready, milady." She sat down comfortably, just waiting for me to start talking.

I exhaled almost dramatically, pinching the bridge of my nose, "How do you get me every fucking time?"

She held her triumph, taking another sip from her beer before passing it to me, my cigarette finding its way between her fingers. "Body language, baby, you're not that good at hiding what's on your mind."

"Pft, screw that shit. Anyway, there miiiight be a small possibility for me to also... y'know, change schools," I murmured, taking a huge gulp from the bottle.

"What?! You too?"

"Surprise, surpriseee," I gave her a fake smile.

"When'd you have time to consider it, man? When're you even switching?

"It might be in a few days, it's happening pretty fast, that's for sure," I sighed, sitting next to her.

"So, how's your old man reacting to all this?"

"Oh, you know I'm just waiting for him to drop dead from drinking too much, I don't care if he's alright with it or not."

"You're... still gonna visit, right, Poison?"

I stayed silent for a moment, replaying her words in my head. Of course I would love to, but I wasn't sure how long it'd take for me to manage outer space traveling. I could save her those details, though. "Duh, first chance I get. You don't have to worry about that, E."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Anybody would worry about you out of all people, Poison, I know how fucking unhinged you can be. Just promise me you won't ditch school during lunch to go daytime drinking and smoking with somebody else, alright?" She chuckled, fist softly crashing into my shoulder.

"No one can take your place, Molls, no one's worth drinking with except you," I smirked, taking one last sip before giving the beer back to her.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she puffed from the cigarette, lending it to me, "You nervous about this whole story?"

I filled my lungs with the smoke before releasing it, gaze stuck at the tossing trees in front of us, "I don't know, maybe. It's different out there. Everybody's different," I murmured.

"Like they're rich or something?"

"Nah, probably just weirdos," I shook my head, dismissing the thought. "Anyway, we've got like 15 minutes left, I think we should get going." After standing up, I gave her a hand, and we were on our way back.

"Y'know, I wonder where that Bloom girl went to. She seemed to have it figured out here, unlike most of us."

As she mentioned her, I couldn't help but remember what Ms. Griffin had said yesterday in the castle. One turned out to be a fairy.

Bloom? A fairy? Pft, yeah, right. That girl was so naive she didn't stand a chance in the normal world, much less a place full of hocus pocus. "She didn't strike me as grounded," I shrugged, letting her decide how to look at it.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

I lit another cigarette, music blasting in my headphones. Another late night, a chance for me to clear my head and escape the real world. That was, of course, until I felt a small tap against my shoulder, the action making me jump the slightest. 

"Sorry, didn't want to creep up on you," Darcy chuckled, leaning against the concrete edge, "Smoking again, huh?" She gave me a small smile, moving a fragment closer.

I couldn't help but feel the fastening thumps of my heart, its rhythm dancing between the notes of the music. Shit, take off your headphones, dummy.

Trying not to lose my mind from literally just standing in front of her, I looked down towards the cigarette, tapping lightly against the filter, "Like I said, it's a habit."

"A not-so-healthy one?" Her smile grew bigger, her hand moving towards the lit thing, "Can I try it?"

A brow shot up as I gazed back at her, "You sure?"

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad, can it?"

I shrugged, trying and failing to keep my grin to myself, lending her the smoke, "You've gotta breathe it in and inhale it in your lungs, then let it out," I instructed, watching her carefully, almost as if observing her every move.

Her hand went towards her mouth, filter and paper now between her lips as she inhaled almost cautiously. After releasing the smoke, her face wrinkled, a cough or two escaping her lips, "Ugh, that's... horrible," as if eager to get rid of it, she gave me the cigarette back. "Out of all the things in your non-magical world and you chose this as a habit?"

"You feel the tingles in your limbs yet?" I ignored her question, taking a puff.

"Sort of, now that you've mentioned it... Why?"

"That's called relaxation, and it's what cigarettes grant you. So there's your reason. But it's not for everybody, I'll give you that. So... Icy and Stormy ripping each other's throats apart again, or were you just bored to come back here?"

"Maybe I just wanted to have a chat with you," she shrugged innocently, the smile never leaving her dimly lit face. 

Her words sparked a little warmth inside my chest, cheeks heating by the second. "Wow, you're making me feel pretty special," I chuckled, trying to hide the rapture from my features. "I'm guessing you've talked to Ms. Griffin then?"

"I have, told her you needed some time to make up your mind and you're solid about transferring. And, if you're worried about your powers, I figured it's still better to harness them little by little on Magix, rather than dealing with them here."

"Oh, uhm, yeah, about that..."

"What's up?"

"Okay, no laughing, but... when I woke up today I, uh, had sort of managed to lift everything in my room in the air... In my sleep. And, oh boy, was it hard to get them down," I sighed, flashbacks crossing my mind.

"Wait, really?" She raised an eyebrow, almost as if she was showing genuine surprise. "That's a big jump, but at least it wasn't a hazard this time, I'm hoping."

"Eh, if we exclude the fact I had to figure out how to put everything back to its place at like 6 am, yeah, everything else was just fine."

"Well, at least now we know for sure your powers are starting to gain life, that's something to be proud of."

"Huh, thanks," I smiled genuinely, tapping on my cigarette, "I've made up my mind about transferring, by the way. I didn't want to rush things, but this magic might not want to cooperate while I'm here, so... when can I go back?"

"If you're ready to do this, then it'd be better for you to start as soon as you can, considering the year has started, every day counts."

"Then tomorrow," I stated certainly.

A small silence hung in the air, thoughts pacing inside my head as nerves tingled in my stomach. Eventually, Darcy spoke up again, her expression showing the slightest bit of concern, "What made you change your mind so quickly?"

I shrugged, anger crawling inside my chest as the previous day unraveled in my vision, the figure of my father blackening everything else. "I'm tired of being tossed around like a punching bag by, you can guess who," I sighed, rubbing my eyes, "I don't think my sanity can take it much longer."

Her hand brushed over mine, fingers wrapping around my palm as her soft eyes glowed against the radiant light, "You won't have to worry about him much longer. And, if you'd like, I can stay here with you for the night, so you won't have to go back," she suggested.

"Really...?" I blurted out, breath caught up in my throat, chest warming by her words.

Her smile returned to her face, hand never leaving mine, "You can count on it."

Chapter Text

"You wanna listen to some music?" I asked as I put out my cigarette, tossing its end to the dark abyss below us.

The brunette chuckled nervously, suddenly straightening up, "Like... what?" She asked, her curious eyes lingering upon mine.

I smirked, walking through the open passage which connected the inside and outside space (search for a synonym).

As I entered, I walked towards the speaker which rested in the bedroom, on the nightstand next to the bed. I knelt down and pulled out my phone, connecting to it, then opened the app to choose a song.

Darcy had also gotten inside, now standing up a few meters away from me.

My fingers scrolled down the different playlists and various sections, eventually tapping on one song in particular.

The beat started, making me rock swiftly to the rhythm, legs straightening up until I was the same level as her.

"Ever heard of Boy Harsher?" I asked, head tilting left and right.

"I don't think so," she chuckled again, looking genuinely lost, "I'm not so sure I know how to dance," she admitted defeatedly, her gaze lowering.

"It's not that hard," I said, slowly grabbing her hands in mine, "Just find your own rhythm and," I moved my upper body, leg tapping against the wooden floor, "feel the melody, then start moving to its pace," with that I continued swaying to the beat.

I felt her hands move with mine, her body finding its own rhythm. The sight of her left me breathless, as if she had lied about not being able to dance.

"You're a natural," I remarked, her eyes opening so she could look at me.

There was a small shy smile on her face, her features genuine, "No one's ever asked me to dance with them before," she admitted, holding my hands a notch tighter, "But I think I really like it."

I bet it is this gal I know
Something happens when she looks at me
I wish that I could let it go
I wish that I could let it go

Run, run, run
Run, run, run

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

"Val...? Wake up, sleepyhead."

"Huh?" I murmured, slowly starting to come to my senses, although unwillingly.

"Come on, we've got things to do and places to be."

"Mmm, five more minutes," I grumbled, turning to the side.

"Get up or you'll make me pull you up and drag you by the leg." She taunted.

"Okay, okay, no need for so much violence in the morning, jeez." My eyes opened slowly, vision clearing from its slumber blurriness, the early sunlight seeping through my eyelids.

I straightened up, hands rubbing the corners of my eyes, throat dry like every other morning. I needed something to drink. Something... ah, I knew what.

"What time is it?" I mustered up, looking around. Darcy was leaning against the wall in front of me, hands crossed below her chest. The sunlight which made its appearance beside her, had bathed her features, adding an angelic touch to her beauty.

Angel face, I thought to myself.

"What?" She suddenly asked, making my heart stop.

"What?" I repeated, blinking plainly a few times.

"What'd you say just now?" She asked again, one eyebrow cocking up.

My knees bent out in a cross-legged sitting position, arms resting against my legs, "I asked what time it was."

Her sly smile rested on her face as she rolled her eyes, "You know what I'm talking about."

"Do I?" I asked, mimicking her raised brow from earlier.

"It's almost 8 am, so get up." As she dismissed my counter words, she approached, her hand lowering towards me.

After grabbing it and standing up on my feet, a rumbling sound cut through the air.

"Somebody needs breakfast," the witch remarked as we headed to the stairs.

"Oh, I'll get something, alright," I uttered, voice still groggy from the sleep earlier.

We walked side by side through the empty, nearly deserted streets of the far corners of Gardenia, my feet carrying me to the nearest 24/7.

It took us a little while until we reached the first actually accommodated neighborhood, and from there the first convenience store, but eventually we made it.

"You want something to eat?" I asked, my face turning towards hers before I walked up to the counter.

She shook her head, speaking softly, "No thanks, go ahead."

"Morning, one beer and an Old Holborn, blonde."

"There you go," the guy said after fetching me both, "That'll be $11,60."

"Here you go, keep the change," I said as I walked back to her. She gave me one wary look as she glanced at both of the things I was holding, but I mindlessly ignored her, opening the can up then taking a huge sip from it.

"Neither of these look like food to me," she remarked as we traced our steps back.

"These are my favorite morning snacks, so shush," I retorted, squeezing the beer with my arm so I could roll a cigarette. "Thank fuck they didn't ask me for my age, I don't imagine you have ID cards back on Magix."

"Pft, that's so old-fashioned, we've got face scanners, but they don't see that much use."

"Okay, that's fucking creepy, you're okay with it?"

She shrugged without giving me an answer. "So... are we going to your place next?" She asked as we finally approached a secluded enough area.

That's when the thought crossed my mind, I'd have to go back to collect my stuff, which... included actually paying my house a visit. Shit.

"Unfortunately, yeah. You think you'd be able to, I don't know, teleport us straight to my room?" I suggested, already feeling nervous about it. It's not that I didn't trust her, far from it, but I didn't trust my father and his unknown current state. If I had to take a wild guess and say he was day drinking three times the standard amount, I probably wouldn't be far from the truth.

"Well, I'll try my best, but first you'd have to show me where exactly it is, so I could pinpoint it in my head."

"Alrighty, then, do you remember the street you walked me to yesterday?"

"Yeah, give me just a second." As she spoke, her eyes closed, her hands glowing in her signature deep purple shade, a portal beginning to make appearance in front of us. As it reached a decent expanse, her eyes opened, her head motioning for me to enter.

As I walked out to the other side, my eyes landed on a small, empty street, one that wasn't more than a minute walk to my place.

Darcy traversed through the portal, a low whoosh signaling her arrival.

"This is where I teleported last time, quiet and empty."

"And this is where I used to hide from my dad when I started smoking," I winked, feet carrying me through the pavement.

The witch let out a scuffled snort, following my steps.

As we walked towards our location, her head jolted towards my presence, her voice soft and careful, "I don't want to open up a wound or anything, but... what's wrong with your dad?"

I stared at the front, willingly preventing an eye contact, unable to speak for the first few seconds. "It's a story for another time," I said plainly, trying to distract myself from falling into a rabbit hole of distress. There were many things wrong with him, many things wrong with me, many things wrong with our coexistence, but I was reluctant to share it with her, at least for this occasion. Maybe when the time was right, I'd share a piece of my mind, but for now I was willing to leave it at 'maybe'.

"I understand," she replied, eyeing the different houses on the street. "Your properties are so unlike the ones I'm used to," she hummed, changing the flow of conversations, for which I was thankful.

My brow shot up, eyes catching her sight in my peripheral vision, "Don't tell me Magix is full of those futuristic skyscrapers," I joked.

"Something like that," she shrugged casually, pointing towards the front, "This is you, right?"

My gaze followed her hand, stomach instantly tying into a pile of knots, tugging at my nerves. Although, this time, there was a single positive thought in my mind, I'd finally be able to leave this place. Finally be able to pack my things, clear my head and never have to look back. Or at least I was hoping that'd be the case scenario.

"Yep, this is my hellhole," I sighed, placing my hands on my torso. "So, my room's on the second floor, in front and on your left. It doesn't really matter if we make it there, as long as we're on the second floor, we'll be alright. Oh, and, one last thing before we do this, when we're there, we'll have to be extremely quiet, he can't know I'm in the house or he'll murder us both. Literally."

"Hm, that so?" She grinned almost smugly, as if a thought had just occurred to her.

My eyebrows knitted together, giving her an almost anticipatory look, "What are you planning?"

She stayed silent, smirking at me for a moment longer, before I heard something that almost made me jump.

Is this convenient enough?

"What the hell!?" I almost choked, taking a small step away. I stared at her in a dumbfounded way, merely blinking in a baffled state.

Call it telepathy, if it makes it easier for you to understand

Now let's do this

More like thought invasion

Before I could even finish the sentence in my head, she grabbed my hand and suddenly the atmosphere around us turned into a blurred picture, objects changing their shape and form, until it once again became clear.

I looked around, seeing as we had successfully made it to my room, and only now had I noticed how messy I had left it last time. Clothes were laid down on my bed, one or two unfinished art pieces holding space on the floor, CDs scattered around, and what-not else.

Sorry for the chaos, I can never find the time to tidy things up

No need to worry about it, you are packing up anyway

It took some time to get everything I needed, especially when I had to keep as quiet as I could, and when Darcy had to go back to Cloud Tower to grab one of her own duffel bags, since the one I had was in no way enough for all my stuff. I still left a few things here, just in case.

Alright, I think this is everything.

The witch extended a hand, which I took after grabbing one of the bags, and suddenly everything around us went in a hazy blur once again, the (objects?) around us changing in shape. When I looked around, I was greeted by the same spiderweb framed windows, the two beds beside my side, and Darcy, holding the other bag.

Eventually my eyes landed on Icy and Stormy on the other side, resting on their beds, the meaner witch's eyes almost shooting daggers at me, while Stormy just yawned and went to her previous doings.

Trying to break the tension around us, I nodded in her way, saying, "Miss me?"

"Not much," she murmured, going back to reading her book of spells.

Ignore her, she treats everybody like this

"Where were you?" The silver-haired girl shifted her gaze to meet Darcy's eyes.

"I was helping Valentine pack her stuff," she shrugged, plopping on her bed.

She raised her eyebrows, eyeing my things, "You've been helping her all night?"

"I was out having fun, mom," she rolled her eyes, standing up so she could close the door, for which I was thankful. Any second longer under Icy's cold gaze, and I wouldn't be surprised if I started feeling my insides being frozen...

"By Griffin's words, classes for you start the day after your arrival, which would mean tomorrow. She asked us three to fill you in on what we've gone over so far, show you around, things like that. But I can't promise you Icy and Stormy will be very cooperative, so you could partially count on me, and as for what lays beyond Cloud Tower, I imagine you could figure it out on your own. Just a word of advice, there's a magical barrier around the school, which protects it from outsiders, or, well... people who don't know how to move through it, and it activates every night after 10 pm. If you miss the opening, consider either sleeping in the forest, or finding some place in Magix. But, uh, first option's a bit... risky. Many things lurk in the forest, so always have a backup plan if you decide to wander off."

"Wait, so... They don't do check-ups on the rooms here? I won't be on a strike streak for disappearing without a given notice?" I raised a doubtful eyebrow, confusedly looking up at her.

"No, not really. Your performance and class attendance is what matters here, during the rest of the time you can do whatever you want. Just... don't get in trouble, okay? You'll manage."

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

It wasn't later than 8 in the evening, still clouds covered most of the dimly lit sky, making it appear even darker than it now was. The calm, chilly breeze tousled my light strands of hair, easing my nerves. Numb by Portishead blasted in my ears, teeth occasionally gripping my cigarette. People walked around me, stylish and not so stylish electric cars passed by me, smaller and bigger crowds in outré clothing walking past me, all of them chattering with their friends, or just utilizing their time to run errands by themselves.

My eyes scanned the different shops around me, none really catching my attention. Big neon signs hung on the buildings, every next one of them brighter and more colorful, which honestly made me feel like a moth, having to choose my own light of interest.

Eventually, my gaze landed on what looked like a coffee bar, and from inside most of the customers looked around my age, dark clothes and goth makeup covering their pale skin. It looked like a place decent enough for me, and besides, I was starting to feel thirsty.

Before I went out, Darcy used her spare time to duplicate a few bucks of their currency, and honestly it looked exactly like the original. I was starting to doubt things here in Magix were as moral and pure as I imagined them to be.

As I walked into the cafe, I looked around and found an empty table towards the left corner, it looked peaceful enough around it.

I scanned the other tables, now noticing how a few of them had things awfully similar to the hookahs back on Earth, but oh well, at least I could smoke inside.

As I sat down, I pulled my things out and rolled another cigarette, having a look at the menu. The drinks weren't all that divergent from the ones back home, although they sure had some strange and bizarre names.

Eventually I settled on a Midnight Sparrow, which by description almost passed as an Espresso Martini, and I definitely needed both some caffeine and alcohol.

As my drink arrived, I sat comfortably in my seat and looked out the window, watching the people pass by. The music was nice, not one I was used to, but you could say it resembled some sort of underground alternative or punk rock, occasionally shifting into indie or electronic. It was nice, I needed something like this after all this time spent in solitude back at the abandoned building.

Suddenly, I felt a change in the atmosphere as three awfully familiar faces walked in. I leaned down a bit, watching as they made their way to a table located in the middle, a few glances from other customers turning their way.

Icy, Darcy and Stormy. Those three sure had their reputation around the people here, I could even see the sudden nervousness that painted the bartender's face, his body tensing at their sight. To my luck none of them even guessed I was here.

"What will you three be having?" A waitress asked them, holding her round tray in one hand, an order pad in the other.

"The usuals," Icy leaned back against her chair, not even looking in the girl's direction. As she took their order and went back to the bar, she quickly citated their drinks, as if having memorized them by heart. Eesh.

Eventually the ice cold witch pulled them in a conversation, Darcy fixing her glasses while Stormy had her head supported by her hand, not paying all that much attention.

I thought I was in the clear, until I heard that all too sweet and interfering voice in my head.

Having a drink all by yourself?

But before I could think of a reply, two girls appeared in front of me, hiding the witches' sight from my gaze.

One of them fidgeted with her dark maroon hair, a nervous smile forming on her face. "Sorry to disturb you, but you look like the least murderous person in here, no offense, of course, and all of the tables are full, so I was wondering if me and my friend could sit here. If... you're not expecting anybody, of course," she chuckled skittishly, scratching the back of her neck.

Would you look at that, I just found myself some company

"It's no problem, feel free to sit down," I said, glancing back at Darcy after my sight cleared, a smug grin resting on my face.

Mirta and Lucy?

Enjoy getting bored out of your mind

"Thank you so much, you're a life saver," the redhead let out a small sigh of relief. "My name's Mirta, by the way, and this is Lucy. And you must be?"

"Totally new here," I admitted, glancing between them both. "But the name's Val, it's nice meeting you."

As I shook hands with both of them, Mirta called out the waitress and ordered both herself and Lucy a drink, shifting her attention to me, "I saw you in Cloud Tower a day ago, are you transferring, by any chance?"

"Yeah, classes start tomorrow for me, so I can't wait to get my ass kicked," I chuckled ironically, taking a huge sip of my drink.

"Oh, it's not that bad here, just..." She jolted closer, hand almost covering her mouth as if what she was about to tell me next could shake up the whole place, "Don't get in trouble with the Trix, and you'll be completely alright."

"The... Trix?" I blinked in confusion.

Lucy's head motioned towards the table in the middle where the three witches sat, my gaze following her sight of direction. Icy had her hand on her glass, practically freezing her drink one level below frost, her cold gaze shifting between her sisters. They called themselves the Trix?

"Those three are trouble, if you ask me," Lucy whispered, leaning her head against her hand, "I think I saw you walking with Icy back there, I suggest you pick a better group."

"Got something to say about us, witch?" Icy called from a few tables afar, her cold gaze shooting daggers at the girl in front of me.

Mirta's eyes widened as panic set it, a silent gulp being the only thing I could hear from how quiet it had gotten.

Lucy immediately tensed up, her gaze unsure, mouth opening but no words came out. I frowned, locking eyes with the icy witch, feeling as nervousness flooded my system, but I didn't let it show. "She was just telling how much she admired you three, so save it."

She stared at me for a moment longer, and honestly it made me feel as if I was about to be thrown across the cafe, but eventually she went back to her previous conversation, not saying a word more. Everybody around us went back to their chattering, the tension evaporating from the air.

"How did you do that?" Mirta uttered, her eyes wide.

I shrugged, leaning back against my seat, "I'm not in the mood for a scandal, and I'm not letting her start one." I murmured, grabbing my things so I could roll another cigarette.

Mirta's confused gaze lingered towards my hands, one brow shooting up, "What's that you've got there?" She asked, studying my movements.

I scoffed in disbelief, looking up at her, "You people seriously have never seen a cigarette?"

"Well, if that's what you're holding, then, no, never. What realm is it from?"

"Earth?" I mumbled. If I went back to a few days ago, even last week, I'd never think someone would ask me which planet I was from. I think I'd need a while to get adjusted to this...

Her eyes widened once again, face inching closer with intrigue, "I thought there was no magic left there."

"Well, so did I, but here we are." With a small wink I licked the upper side of the rolling paper, lighting its end. Eventually my eyes went back to the group of three, which had all finished their drinks, put money on the table and strolled out of the cafe in no time. Curiosity tugged at the back of my head, it was still a bit early, I didn't imagine they'd be going back to the castle just yet. But I preferred to sit here, get to know these two, since I was still new to everything, and it was in my advantage to gather as much information about this place as I possibly could. So we pulled ourselves into a stream of various conversations, my lingering thoughts forming into all sorts of questions and desire for answers, time passing by like a hazy cloud in the sky.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

10 o'clock was approaching, so I chose to excuse myself and make a small evening stroll, killing some time before the last bus back to Cloud Tower.

Despite the late hour, people didn't seem to stop roaming around, in fact, I felt like it had gotten slightly more crowded on the streets, although now it was mostly adults, the students making their way back to their own places.

I was lightly buzzed, vibing to my tunes, walking down a dimly lit street back to the bus stop. Still had around twenty minutes till my bus arrived, so I was slow with my steps.

The noise around me quieted the more I was progressing, until I heard a loud thud somewhere around me, making me take off one earpiece, legs stopping in their tracks. Voices overlapped somewhere close by, rough sounds pulling me completely out of my daydreaming. Judging by the distance, it felt like they were coming from the next corner.

With silent and deliberate steps, I made my way towards the source of havoc, my head peering the slightest as I reached it.

My eyes widened at the sight - Bloom, that girl from my school, completely surrounded by none other than the Trix, who had her frozen in a chunk of ice, completely glued to the dead end's wall. My heart started beating rapidly as I tried my best to ignore them and keep walking, since the sisters had their backs turned to me, so if I kept my head down, maybe Bloom wouldn't even notice me.

"Valentine!" The redhead called out, making me freeze in my steps. Shit.

My head slowly lifted up, body tensing under their stares. I gulped silently, nodding in their direction as casually as I could, "Okay, this is pretty awkward, I'm, uh, outta here," I uttered, trying to escape the situation, but my legs were instantly frozen in ice, making me gasp. "Ow, what the hell, man!?"

"You two know each other?" Icy spoke up, her gaze piercing mine.

"Well, she knows me, I don't fucking know her, so would you be ever so kind to unfreeze me?" I murmured, struggling to free myself from her hold, although despite my forced attempts, the ice didn't budge.

"Oh, come on, help me out here, please?" Bloom pleaded, her desperate eyes filled with distress.

I raised my hands in a defeated manner, looking between her and the three other girls who surrounded us both, "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do much." Eyes shifted towards Icy as I tried to stand my ground, "So can you please just let me go and I'll be on my merry way."

Stormy and Darcy exchanged a glance, both letting Icy continue speaking, which was starting to for total unfortune, "Not before you answer us a few questions. First of which is how on Magix you two know each other?"

I shrugged, still trying to free myself, "We went to the same school back on Earth, okay? Nothing more than this. We weren't even in the same class for god's sake!"

The ice witch hummed, narrowing her eyes at me as skepticism crept up her face, "You sure you're not hiding something?" She asked, walking closer towards me, as if trying to find an ounce of hoax in my words.

"Like what? All I know is that she's the teacher's pet in almost every class, and if you've got her covered in ice for some incredible reason, I'm sure you know more about her than even I do."

Suddenly, Stormy let out a chuckle, turning fully towards me as she crossed her hands, a devious smirk spread wide across her face, "Yeah, a fairy and a witch knowing each other? Or even being on good terms, you're giving her too much credit, Icy." A fairy? So it really must've been Bloom all along. Gosh, never in a thousand years would I expect her to be a fairy out of all people.

The ice witch contemplated for a moment longer, trying to fish out anything she could use against me, and fortunately, found none. "Fine, then, not a word to Griffin or I'll send you to Oblivion myself, is that clear?" She whispered lowly, eyes burning holes through me.

"Crystal," I whispered back, praying she would just let me go already.

Suddenly, the ice which held me in place melted, soaking my feet, but I didn't dare say another word. Instead, I quickly disappeared around the corner, hurrying up so I could catch the bus.

That girl was a total psycho. I was starting to understand why everyone was careful of those three, and honestly maybe I'd have to watch myself around them.

Day number one on Magix, and I was already drawing more attention to myself than I'd like.

What the hell did I get myself into?

Chapter Text

The sunlight made its way on the horizon, the brightness painting its appearance through my eyes, mind coming to its senses.

As I woke up, my gaze shifted lazily around, the picture in front of me still blurry. Darcy was still sleeping peacefully on her bed beside me, which led me to think I still had time.

I got up, letting out a small tired sigh, hands rubbing the corners of my eyes.

I made my way to the bathroom, toothbrush and paste in hand, eyes glancing up in the mirror. I moved my head closer, inspecting my face. The dark circles under my eyes didn't seem to go away, so I did my best to ignore them, turning the faucet on and sprinkling my face with water to freshen up. Then, I watered my brush, put some toothpaste on and began brushing away.

As I finished the morning routine, my stomach rumbled loudly, craving something to eat, my mind wondering whether we had breakfast or if I'd have to go out and fetch something to eat.

Suddenly I heard a small knock on the door, my groggy voice answering, "Come in."

Darcy entered, eyes locking with mine through the mirror hung on the wall.

"Morning," she uttered, her flawless face barely showing any sign of tiredness.

"Morning," I replied, brushing my golden strands of hair with my hand.

"Sorry about yesterday," she came closer as I made her way to brush her teeth.

"It's fine, it wasn't your problem to deal with," I replied, leaning against the wall opposite of the mirror.

The witch neared, passing me, her eyes stuck on mine through the mirror, "You should avoid getting on Icy's nerves, she's not the lightest person as you've already seen."

"And she should try being a bit more chill in some situations," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. Jee,  that was a horrible joke.

Darcy let out a small chuckle, her past unreadable expression now wiped out by a wide grin, "At least try not to get on her bad side for a week, please?"

I sighed, failing to resist my own glee, "Alright, captain, my captain." After raising my hands in a defeated manner, I walked out of the bathroom and made my way to the two duffle bags resting on the floor beside my bed. I'd have to pick something more appealing to the nobility here, and god forbit I look like a rip-off Wednesday Addams.

At last, I had fished out a long, black layered skirt, along with a maroon corset top, and... just a few pieces of jewelry (barely could stop at the third necklace). As I was struggling to put on the last on on the top, a small metallic deer skull, Darcy had left the bathroom, and I couldn't help but follow her sight loosely through the mirror in the room, neither of us speaking. The witch raised her hand up, and with the click of her finger her casual clothes changed to the significant purple low-rise flared jeans, and a lilac crop top. My eyes lingered for a moment longer than they should've, drawing her gaze to me. I quickly focused back on my doings, clearing my throat, "Magic, right?"

Her eyes glanced between my sight and my hands with which I tried to navigate the loophole. Darcy approached, her fingers brushing against mine as she took a hold of the two ends, swiftly strapping them together, hands resting on my neck for a while longer as she looked at my reflection, "Or, as I prefer to call it, Dark arts, but in this case scenario magic works too."

I tried to keep my nervousness at bay as small goosebumps crept up my neck, trying to clear the feeling out and change with another, "You really don't like being associated with all that fairytale stuff?"

The witch shrugged, eyes mindlessly lingering down, "It's not really that, I just don't view fairies all that positively. They might seem all giddy and whimsical, but they're no better than us witches. All they do is flutter with their shiny wings and magical looks, as if they're..."

"Better than the rest of the world?" I smiled sarcastically, "Yeah, I guess people here aren't all that different from the ones on Earth."

"Well, unfortunately that would be a story for another time, since we don't want to be late for your first lecture."

Soon enough we'd gotten completely ready, leaving the suite. Icy and Stormy had already left, so it was Darcy leading the way and me walking beside her. I earned a few looks from the other girls, both me and the witch I was next to, but she didn't seem to care at all. On one side it eased me, but on the other I couldn't help but wonder who they all were. If the whole school was acting on edge any time they walked by, and they were first years, then I can't imagine what must've happened.

My thoughts quickly quieted down as Darcy neared the door, slowing her steps until she stood in front, eyes pondering upon mine, "You ready?"

"Now or never, I guess," I gave her a weak smile, watching as she opened the door.

We walked through, parting ways soon after, Darcy finding her sisters while I searched for a convenient place. Eventually I found one on the second roll, and a moment after I had sat down, I felt a small tap on the shoulder. Turning to my right, I noticed the shy redhead from yesterday, Mirta.

"Oh, hey, didn't see you there," I chuckled, setting my things down, "I hope this place is free."

"Yeah, of course, feel free to sit down."

"Thanks, you're a life savor," I smiled, gaze shifting to the empty seat beside her, "Where's Lucy?" I raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh, she wasn't feeling all that well today, so she decided to skip the first lecture," she explained, but before I could answer to her words, a clap of hands caused my attention to shift.

Ms. Griffin had walked into the room, all eyes now observing her. The woman cleared her throat, putting a hand on her waist while gesturing with the other, "As I'm sure you've noticed, we have a new student here at Cloud Tower, Valentine," her hand lifted up, pointing in my direction, nervousness flooding my senses from how I felt under their scrutiny. All I could do was nod in her direction and let her continue, "who's still adjusting to the atmosphere around. So, Valentine, something I tell all my students," she locked eyes with me, her stern, but tempered tone earning my full attention, "Your level of connection with magic doesn't matter. I don't judge based on strength or prestigious background information, I judge based on dedication and commitment. Magic is something you are all still very new to, and that is why you're all here. To harness your powers and learn how to control them. So, without further ado, let's get started on today's lesson, The Ethics of Magic. When do we safely use our power and when do we misuse it..."

Soon after, I was drawn into her stream of dialogues and explanations, occasionally taking a few notes.

"Remember, the strongest of witchcraft comes from deep within, where your darkest emotions lay at bay. It's a simple fact, one I feel no use of hiding. However, I can advise you to be vigilant and put it to good work. Safe practice leads to successful progress, that's why I'd suggest you use your free time for extra exercising..."

Countless minutes later, we were finally dismissed, the witch beside me and I packing our things and preparing for our next class, which turned out to be Spell Crafting. Mirta assured me it was no big deal, but I was already petrified just by hearing the name.

"Relax, you'll have the proper equipment, all you have to do is follow the instructions. Easy as that." Mirta tried her best to calm down my nerves, but I couldn't help the anxious look on my face.

"Huh, easy for you to say, I was already bad at chemistry, now we're talking about actual hex magic," I countered, feeling a knot tie in my stomach.

"Ms. Brimstone isn't that harsh on people, I promise you."

As we walked into the room, Lucy was still nowhere in sight, so I stuck close to Mirta, having zero desire to be talkative in any way with new people. However, I didn't miss the few chances to follow The Trix's sight, especially Darcy's. She was indifferent in Ms. Griffin's class, but here she looked way more confident. As if there was nothing which could trip her over.

Eventually, we took places, voices quieting down as the teacher walked in, and she was definitely a stern-looking one. Her hand quickly adjusted the glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, her sharp gaze not letting anybody away from her sight. Oddly enough, by manner she looked exactly like any chemistry teacher I've ever encountered. And fuck, was I about to fail this subject miserably?

The woman locked eyes with me for a brisk moment after scanning the room, quickly catching up with the fact I was new, but didn't say anything about it. "As we all know, there are three essence states - raw, distilled and bound, each next easier to use than the previous. Mirta, which are the reaction stages, quickly," she extended a hand towards the girl beside me who suddenly tensed up, hands fidgeting with her pen.

"Uhm, color shift and texture change, Miss," she replied. 

"Very well, and what risks should we be cautious about when working in the experimental field of magic? Darcy?"

"Well, the first would be overloading your flask, since the side effects could lead to backlashes like explosion. Then, we have nullification, when the potion loses its properties like color, effect or value. For example, if we use too much grounding salt in a levitation potion, it becomes inactive. And at last we have mutation, when we are given unexpected results, an anomaly in reactions."

"Good," the woman remarked, pointing towards our work stations. In front of each of us were situated three flasks, a droplet pipette, stirrer and a few other tools, which were still unknown to me. "The theme of today's class is Balancing Opposites: The Principle of Measurement. Your objective is to create a neutralizing potion that can both heal wounds and prevent infection from dark or light magic. And please, without reaching the undesirable effect of explosion. You all start with moonwater as neutral base, so as next ingredients you'll need two opposites which would combine without canceling each other. Ms. Forrester?" Her sharp gaze found its way to my direction, my mind completely shutting down. Seeing as I was struggling to comprehend her sentence she patiently switched her words, "Can you give me an example of two opposite forces?"

I said the first which came to mind, finally snapping out of my transfix, "Life and death..." I shrugged, breaking the tense eye contact, "Light and shadow, order and chaos."

"Good," she gave me one encouraging smile, "The ones we commonly use would be frost and heat, living and unliving, etc. Now the question is which one you'd use," she said, nodding my way.

I contemplated for a moment, thinking of all the various oppositions, but it was a bit obvious which one I'd take, "Living and unliving."

Suddenly, two watch glasses appeared in front of me, on my right side I had a few flower stalks, and on my left something that resembled fine powder.

"For your choice you receive sunroot blossoms, from which you'll only need the seeds, and bone dust. Now there's only one question left. What would be your measurements?"

"Well, we want a neutralizing effect, so my guess would be 50% of both?" I spoke unsurely.

Ms. Brimstone smirked, her gaze averting, "Darcy, what do you have to say?"

"Since we don't want to take our bets and end up creating an explosion, I'd keep the light side a few precents higher."

"You each know how to acquire your materials, so please go on, and choose your combinations wisely," she spoke to the rest of the class, patiently waiting for everyone to summon their ingredients, afterwards continuing, "You'll start by adding the light ingredient first, following with the dark one. As you've done so, start stirring clockwise, and, if you've chosen weaker materials, feel free to use a stabilizer, you'll find it beside the flasks."

After she had finished talking, everybody got to work, carefully examining their equipment. I glanced down in front of me, grabbing the round glass on top of which the flowers rested. 

Carefully, I separated the the seeds from the petals, measuring how much of both materials I needed. A few moments later I had poured down everything, now stirring the potion. It didn't take long before I started to notice the change - either opposites fighting against the other, the glimmery substances mixing. Eventually golden yellow mixed with silver, creating a lighter color, the liquid calming down. I blinked at the potion, expecting an outburst of energy, or any other backlash, but nothing happened.

As I looked around, I noticed other students had also finished their work, waiting beside their desks. 

Ms. Brimstone waited a while longer, then spoke again, "If you are done, please pour the concoction into a container and leave it at your desk. That'll be all for today."

As I poured down and bottled the liquid, I made my way to the exit amongst the other students, but my name suddenly hung in the air, "Ms. Forrester, one moment, please."

I gazed back at the woman in confusion, walking towards her. She extended her hand, using her magic to pull my handywork back, "I don't usually let students have their potions, but feel free to use this one until you adjust with magic," she gave me one honest smile, giving me the small bottle, "Use it directly on the skin and it should fix any damage."

I gave her one small appreciative smile, taking the potion in my hand, "Thank you, really."

"It's no trouble, now run along."

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

The day passed by faster than I'd expected. Sure enough I barely knew anybody, but Mirta kept me company for most of my time. Eventually we were dismissed from our last class, leaving me with a lingering question. What was I going to do with my free time? No abandoned building I could go to, no Molly to hang out with.

After giving it a small thought, I decided to go back to the dorm, get a few things and explore the greenery which surrounded Cloud Tower. Or, in simpler words, disappear in the quietness away from people. 

I grabbed my bag, stuffing it with a few things before checking myself in the mirror, then setting off. The Trix were nowhere in sight, despite me taking my sweet time to find the exit of this place. Every corridor twisted the moment I set foot on the ground, honestly it was starting to make me all dizzy again. 

At last I found the familiar double door, pushing through and making my way outside. Just as inside, it was occupied by several smaller and bigger groups of witches, some sitting on the grass, others standing under the shadows of the trees. The atmosphere was welcoming, but it wasn't somewhere I'd willingly be.

Deep in thought, I made my way towards the more rural area of the forest, the trees canceling the distant voices entirely. Any light casted by the sun had been shadowed by the crowns of golden leaves, small wildlife noises occupying space between the comforting silence.

I walked a few steps further, making sure to remember which direction I came from, then set my things on the ground and braced myself against the nearest tree. I let out a sigh, one knee making direct contact with the ground as I reached to take my things out from the bag. I pulled out one of my notebooks, opening it to the starting page.

My eyes scanned the written words, mind trying to comprehend the information. It was easy at first, but I was almost certain that if I tried the practical part, there would be no outcome. So in the meantime I tried to gain courage and test my capabilities.

After finishing the last page, I set the notebook down, taking a deep breath and focusing on my hands. I wasn't entirely sure how to proceed, but I tried my best to fish out any sense of power within me. And to make the process less awkward, I closed my eyes, calming my senses.

Come on, find... something. 

But nothing really surfaced.

I opened my eyes, only to stare at my empty hands, slight annoyance lingering upon my thoughts. I knew it wouldn't happen immediately, but I couldn't help the rising boredom.

Despite the failed attempt, I forced my eyes shut for the second time, taking a breath in and out. This time, there was something flowing through my system, something... resembling anger, frustration. It didn't feel right to follow its direction, but as I let myself get pulled into the sensation, a tingling feeling moved through my hands. I opened my eyes slowly, trying my best not to cut through the tether.

My breath caught up in my throat as I stared down, hands glowing with a shady greenish matter, almost fog-like.

I blinked, seeing as it hadn't disappeared, but kept looming and hovering against my hand, slightly tickling my skin. It felt so unreal, and it sparked up such curiosity within me, my mind puzzled with what else I was capable of.

My hands separated, the greenish mist following each by an equal amount. My eyes closed naturally, palm and fingers coming in direct contact as I formed a fist, the battling feelings inside my body gaining strength. I stayed still for a moment, absorbing all of it, before channeling my inner and outer parts, suddenly shuttering at the sensation. The small disturbance caused me to open my eyes, gaze quickly locking towards my now open hands, green spirals coiling around the air. My heart hammered against my chest, my mind still trying to register everything I was seeing. The spirals danced through the small winds, their calm movements slowing down my heart. It felt so weird to be seeing this, a week ago I wouldn't have even guessed I'd be competent enough to do this, but here I was, barely able to believe my eyesight.

I took a steadying breath, closing and opening my fists a few times, trying my best to extinguish the hazy flames, but each try was of no avail. The smoke still dangled between the breeze, as if in control of itself.

"Okay, how do I get rid of you now?" I gulped, still staring down at my hands, brain desperately thinking of an answer. In the notes I read that calmness was the best way to extinguish power, meanwhile anxiousness fueled it. So, I closed my eyes again, gaining power over my emotions, trying to prevent them from spiraling out of control.

It took a little while, but eventually it felt easier to breathe, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I glanced back at my hands, now free of any smoke. I let out one prolonged breath, expecting something to happen, but everything was as still as when I arrived.

I shook my head and hands, reaching towards my backpack. If I wanted to kill some time, I could at least practice with something I knew how to use. And something that didn't leave me shaking to catch my breath...

My hands touched one particular metal surface, pulling out the three significant daggers.

I fidgeted with one comfortably in my hand, walking a few feet away from the tree in front of me. My eyes locked to a certain spot somewhere in the middle, body taking its usual stance. My hand lifted in the air, one eye closing. I threw the blade outwards, its ends spinning a few times in the air before the sharp edge cut straight through the bark, staying in place.

For a moment I stared at the blade, an idea invading my head.

With one almost unsure movement, I lifted my hand up, fingers stretched outward, eyes locked on the metallic dagger. I felt that motion again, running through my veins. I didn't let my eyes falter for a moment, trying with all my might to channel my energy just like last time.

Suddenly, the blade ripped through the tree's layers, too brisk in movement and headed straight towards my direction. It might've happened in under a second, but I pulled down my hand, eyes closing almost instinctively as a slash cut through the silence.

I let out a sharp breath, waiting a second longer before opening my eyes. My pulse picked up speed as I looked down towards the fallen blade, as something trickled down my cheek. Two fingers lingered where the liquid had flowed, redness covering my fingertips. I hissed in pain as I pressed against the cut, pulling my hand away. Then, my eyes stared back at the blade, its sharp surface covered in small droplets of blood. Fucking great. 

Preferring to distance myself from any other magical use as to not injure myself further, I picked the blade up, wiping the blood off and focusing on the tree again, preparing for another swing.

Time passed by, hour blended, actions blurred. Before I knew it, the sun had almost disappeared behind the tree-covered mountains, letting the evening breeze and dimly lit sky settle over the place. By now, I was sitting down with a sketchbook and pencil in my hands, headphones occupying my ears. I'd used a good amount of my time tracing the pencil over the thick paper, eventually creating a rough sketch of a winged woman. At this point I drew the first thing which came to mind, as lately I was lacking a muse in any shape or form. 

As the evening set in it became harder and harder for me to see the details of my sketch, which ultimately led to me abandoning the sketchbook and pencil on top of my bag. (find a synonym on ig thrift acc)

My gaze shifted towards the path from which I came, mind contemplating whether to spend the night here, or go back. I was still within school territory, so I was guessing nothing could go wrong. And besides, I needed the solitude.

After a while, I felt the tiredness pulling at my limbs, which in return caused me to lay down, using my bag as support for my head.

My half closed, half open eyes gazed up, the small shimmering of the stars above me catching my attention. For a while, everything stayed still. There was no cool breeze to chase the falling leaves, no wildlife present, time felt as if it had stopped moving. And in that thread of moments, I felt completely at peace. My father was far away, I  was far away, and there was nothing in the world that could burden me.

My chest eased with every second, eyes closing on their own, and just like that, I was fast asleep.

¸¸.•*¨*•.          ✧⋅☽☆☾⋅✧         .•*¨*•.¸¸

A few soft steps circled the girl, a pair of eyes scanning the notebook beside her head.

Fingers coiled around the spiral which held the papers together, the figure doing its best to not disturb the sleeping beauty while sitting down beside her. She traced the tips of her fingers against the white corners, flipping to the first page. It was dark, but with her other hand she summoned a small mauve orb which radiated with a soft light. 

Darcy gazed through the different drawings, each fascinating her more than the last. They were filled either with detailed animal sketches, perspective figures, or well-shaded Greek statues. There was no doubt, Valentine was a skilled artist, and it made the violet witch smile to her herself when she came to the realization. For a moment there was a little desire to keep the notebook for herself, pretend it never existed and secretly glance at the drawings, but she was almost certain Valentine didn't have a second one, so after reaching the last page, she set it back down, gazing at the blonde. For a moment her eyes narrowed, tension rising within her chest. There was something on the girl's cheek. Something big in length, darkly red in color.

The witch moved closer, inspecting the wound. Then, her eyes landed on the three all-memorable blades resting beside her golden hair, her mind quickly putting the pieces together.

It didn't take long for her to notice something else hidden in the bag, a glimmery liquid in a small crystal flask. A potion resting just below Valentine's head, created several hours ago by her own hands, although it was safe to say none of it had been previously used.

She gazed back at Valentine as her eyes traced the small, almost hidden freckles, the way her lips parted visibly whenever she'd take a breath, or the small bruises she had on her hands, ones which made the witch guess were from the mirror accident, despite the glass never really shattering down. Darcy fished out all those small details she didn't notice the first few times, something within her lingering with curiosity. She hadn't felt it in a while, as if every spent moment between her and Valentine felt unique and alluring in nature.

Her restless mind calmed, the invading voices losing their amplification. A question tugged at the brunette's head, her desire of figuring out why it was she felt so calm around the girl never fulfilling itself. There was only one other person who managed to make her feel such sereness, but that was somebody Darcy would never be willing to talk about. A closed chapter in an almost forgotten book, left to collect dust on a desolated shelf.

Before the brunette could let the troubling thoughts slip into her head, she focused on the girl in front of her, her sleeping features comforting the witch in their own way. She didn't know what it was about Valentine, but she was willing to enjoy her presence.