"Oh... So is it a problem? I can slow time for you, though?"
"Wait, what?"
She chuckles again at my baffled expression, and she nods proudly.
"Yes! You know, in here, it's magic! If you want, the magic will slow time for you!"
"You can really do that?"
"Of course! It's magic!"
I chuckle, nervous and happy at the same time. My heart is thumping wildly in my chest. Finally, Moon Goddess, if this is true, that's one good thing I could really use right now. The first one in a while, actually. I take a deep breath and nod.
"Alright, Mara. Let's slow down time so we can study, you and I. I mean... so you can teach me everything about magic."
"Everything, everything?" she asks, her eyes beamed up.
"Everything," I nod. "And please, slow time as much as you can. I'm going to need it."
"Of course!" she answers, excited.
To my own surprise, it really works. I didn't believe it at first, because nothing really happens right away or visibly. However, as I keep staring at the window, I do notice a little lonely cloud that doesn't move at all anymore, as if it was stuck in that purple-ish sky. The little branches on the trees in the corner aren’t moving in the wind anymore. Moon Goddess, it actually works. I take a deep breath and look down at little Mara, finally seeing a bit of hope. With that settled, I'm ready. Oh, I'm so ready to learn what it takes to be a real witch.
One good thing about learning from a baby witch: she uses very simple language, no hard concepts like in those nightmarish magic books Kelsi had found. She is patient too. Everything is a game to her. If I ever had a childhood, this is probably what a young witch should have gone through. Little Mara waits until I've memorized all the witchcraft symbols she knows and gives me dozens of riddles to really master them all. All the runes and even the Gaelic and Hebrew languages? A new playground for strange conversation and charades. We also draw hundreds of magic circles, theorizing about new ones, chatting about everything we can do.
Moreover, we are literally playing with fire the whole time. Since we have no surface to write or draw on, we both have to use our fire to create the shapes we want. It's a nightmare for me to tame my flames enough for them to take the shape I want. It's like trying to draw with a string, I need to be careful, not only to draw well enough, but also to focus so everything stays as it is while I write more. I lose count of how many times my flames have run out and disappeared in a puff of smoke. It's a long exercise, but I do notice that I'm making some slow progress each time. It's like training a muscle, or learning to master a new weapon. I keep a cool head only by constantly reminding myself that I have time, and I really need to learn this. Mara makes anything out of fire in the blink of an eye, making me realize how big the gap is between us. At first, it takes me forever to master how to draw two symbols and keep them alive for a few seconds. My left hand is always the one to keep control the longest, whatever happens on my right is gone after just a few seconds of focusing elsewhere. It's nerve-wracking, but I keep going like I would keep writing to become ambidextrous. It slowly works and I feel like I'm forcing my brain to learn this new curve by sheer willpower. It is something exhilarating. My body and mind are not used to this, but every time I push them a bit further, I discover new doors that can't wait to be opened. It's exciting! I was probably only at five or ten percent of my abilities before. Like a girl playing with a stupid flame-thrower. Now, this is real Fire Magic. The one that makes me feel powerful and really in charge. I keep going, letting it flow through me.
By the time we get to magic circles, I start to get the hang of it. My control is much better, and the scars? No more appear when I create fire. My skin stays clear while my hands are dancing and moving to tame fire. I can feel it right down in my heart and stomach. I can focus on each circle, visualize it, and now, my hands and mind just know by heart what to do. Instead of simply drawing it, I can now produce the full circle at once, and being the stubborn Mara I always was, I keep working to make every single detail like I want.
Facing me, Mara has the innocence of a child playing with magic, but the knowledge of a timeless being. She's... incredible. I understand why Clarissa genuinely loved and treasured her so much. She wasn't born. She only knows of the world that Clarissa taught and showed her, whatever she saw through those mirrors. Everything fascinates her, and she celebrates my little victories even more than I do. It all amazes her; she has no idea about competition, frustration, or loss.
She never learned about good or evil, and I'm starting to understand why she wasn't able to tell how her mother used her, either... if it is Nephera. The more I learn from her about Light and Dark Magic, the more I realize little Mara didn't have the filter to see where things went wrong. However, I do. I'm learning fast, and I can tell, whatever has taken control of my... no, of our body, is most likely another entity. A bundle of Dark Magic that was left behind, both from Clarissa's sick body and Nephera's dark feelings she passed on to her child. Whatever Clarissa did, something went wrong, awfully wrong, allowing those entities to merge together and stay hidden here with the innocent young Mara...
"Look, look!"
I glance down, and indeed, the fire circle in my hands is much better than the one just before. It's crazy how much stronger and better my control has gotten. I really feel like I've found some new muscles, and I've been sharpening my senses enough. Now, I can feel my fire, control it perfectly to bend it to my will, but... strangely, it feels too calm. Before, there was like a willpower attached to it. Now it's just me playing with it. I sigh and stand up. This time, I try to expand my circle. It does exactly what I want, even when I add some more complex details. Why does this feel wrong? This is the kind of perfect control I was aiming for from the start! Why am I expecting my fire to... respond to me? Why does it feel like it's not... alive anymore?
I frown and keep forcing it. I want to provoke it, make it react. I need it stronger, bigger, fiercer! Why is it acting all shy now?!
"...Are you afraid?"
"Why would I be afraid of fire?!"
"Not the fire. The wolf."
"...What?"
I let the fire go, and turn around. What did she just say? A wolf? I keep squinting my eyes, but it's just... shadows. I try to look past the darkness, but I can't...
Suddenly, they appear. Two glowing eyes. One is of a sumptuous blue color, the other a mysterious glowing gold, almost orange. They are beautiful... but I can't ignore the beast hiding behind them. It's staring right at me, and there's... something in those eyes. Something fierce and powerful. I step back, cautious, and the wolf does exactly the same. No, it doesn't just mimic my movements, it's... like a perfect reflection. I take a deep breath, a bit nervous, and step forward this time. The wolf does the same.
Moon Goddess, it's...
"She's beautiful," I whisper, falling down on my knees.
This time, the wolf approaches, as my nervousness disappears. I even find myself chuckling nervously, taking the measure of what's happening. I keep staring, totally amazed. Moon Goddess, she's just so beautiful. I can feel... all of her. Her power, her savage, unruled power. My own heart is almost growing like a fire inside my chest, an echo of hers.
That's one unique wolf, I'll admit, but those colors on the fur are certainly more than familiar. Pitch black and gold... just like Spark. Is that even a thing for a wolf? It's definitely a wolf, though. My wolf. She looks like she's been through fire, a creature of ashes and embers. I am speechless.
