You always felt like your whole life was just one big cycle. Wake up in the morning, go to school, chat with friends, eat, go home, study for several hours and go to sleep.
The cycle would always stay the same, only small details changing every now and then.
You always did feel like you were different from everyone in some degree. Everyone had a talent, something they were good at. They knew what they wanted to do in the distant future, it was the opposite for you. You didn't know who you were or what exactly you were capable of, until now.
You felt like you finally found your place in the world, where you belonged. Here you had a propose.
You had arrived at Miss Robichaux's Academy only two months ago, and you discovered that you were a very fast learner. Thanks to your instructor, Zoe, who was a very patient and skilled teacher, you were able to pass each test and task with flying colors. Zoe taught you to maintain proper posture, and to keep your flustered mess of emotions in check when you were performing magic. You didn't expect it all to come so naturally, but it did which left you pleasantly surprised.
To you, it felt like the fire that was always at your fingertips, but instead of being called to you at will, in short bursts of pain and panic, it was a surrounding warmth. Zoe would proudly praise you to the other teachers and made sure they would witness your acts of success for themselves. You were delighted to be amongst such accomplished and gifted women, to be learning in the school where you met the strongest witch alive and headmistress: Cordelia, your Supreme. It was such an honor and you couldn't help but be in complete awe every time you were in her mere presence. You felt lucky just to be breathing the same air as her. Whenever Zoe called Cordelia to watch you, though, you would become a nervous wreck and nearly mess up whatever spell you had been performing. You couldn't help but want to impress her. You admired her dearly and whenever she gave you words of encouragement and a pat on the back, you were left feeling more accomplished than ever.
You had learned so much in a short amount of time, and you started to look forward to each lesson. Magic was a beautiful and powerful gift. A dangerous weapon when placed in the hands of someone who would misuse it.
"Right in front of you, you can see a dead flower and a book of spells. I want you to find a spell to revive the flower," Zoe instructed.
You looked down at the dead rose on the table, you took it in your hands, brushing your fingers over the harsh edges. It had beauty to it, but it'd be even more beautiful if it was alive.
You exhaled, fully focusing on the energy thrumming inside you, flowing through your veins along with your blood. You let a little bit of it escape from your fingers and pour onto the rose, having no idea what was pushing you to do it, but your effort was rewarded immediately.
It came alive under your influence, unrolling in no time, and a gasp spilled from your lips at the sight. You twirled it in your fingers, watching the green spread and then the red take over the space taken by dull and ashy brown.
You were next to Mallory, she completed the task before you, but you were the second one to finish it, and nevertheless you were proud of yourself. You two shared warm smiles, full of triumph and satisfaction. You looked around the rest of the room and the other witches around you made the air sing with potential energy.
Zoe smiled, her eyes sparkled as she said, "Good. Very good."
Another ability you learned to control was pyrokinesis.
The first time you used pyrokinesis was when you tried to burn some marshmallows because you were craving one and Zoe was there instructing you on how to do it. She was holding the stick of marshmallows up for you but you ended up starting a much bigger flame than you intended and burnt the whole stick which in turn made you nearly burn Zoe's hand, but fortunately she dropped it in the nick of time. You apologized repeatedly to her the moment you realized what you had done but she insisted that it was okay and that you were still learning, getting into the notion of things. Still, you could be such a klutz sometimes and you felt really bad. But she was right, you were learning and your powers were growing and she explained that all of them had their mishaps and blunders especially at the beginning, so it was perfectly normal.
"Now, remember what I taught you," Zoe said, gesturing at you to come closer. "Holds your hands out, palms facing the sky."
You did as she told you.
"Good. Now let go of your fear. Feel the heat in your veins, harness that. Draw out your power from your core."
There were faceless dummies planted on small tables out in the field, and you stood close to Zoe as flames started to wind their way around them. The flames were slowly growing in size, clinging to the material.
"Zoe? Am I doing it right?" you called out.
"You're doing beautifully!" Zoe answered. "Just stay calm and focused, try to get the fire to do something for you," she suggested.
You continued to control the fire, shutting your eyes as you poured all your strength and power into it. You were able to coax your flames to new heights, twisting and shaping them to your will. Your magic sparked with intention, a tingling in your fingertips.
You turned the dummies into ashes which in turn made the flames die out with it. Zoe turned to look at you and gave you a look of approval.
You also knew how to use telekinesis.
You were out on the open field beside your mentor Zoe. She sat against the rock behind her and folded her arms.
"We're going to try something a little more difficult," Zoe started.
"Really?" you asked. "Well, what am I supposed to do?"
"See that large rock over there by the bush?" you looked in the direction she pointed, and nodded. "I want you to be able to lift it and if you can, bring it slowly towards us. But for the moment, I just want to see if you can lift that rock."
"Got it," you said, closing your eyes and letting out a breath of air to relax. Opening your eyes, you focused all your power onto the rock that was about ten yards away from you two.
After a moment you felt your powers grasp it, your hands opened towards the rock, and with your mind you pushed. Your eyebrows knitting in concentration as the rock was really heavy. At first, the rock did nothing but shake, and you raised your hands towards the rock and pushed harder to move it.
"Always remember, the most minor distraction, the slightest tremor of your hands can deter you from completing your goal. You must always remain focused and keep a clear head because before you know it, with enough repetition of course, you won't even have to think about it, it'll be instant and come naturally," Zoe explained.
Zoe watched both the shaking rock and your actions. She knew that one day you would be able to lift the rock and other heavy things with as much ease as it did to take you to lift a fork telekinetically.
Once again, you focused all your energy to try and levitate the rock. It finally moved upwards but very quickly, causing you to be jerked out of your concentration and fall on your butt, which caused the rock to be thrown upwards. As your powers lost the control of it, gravity kicked in and caused the rock to smash into the ground.
"Wow," you stared at the rock which had smashed into several large pieces when it hit the ground.
Zoe clapped as she walked towards you. "Really good job, for a first timer, I believe. Here," Zoe held her hand out for you to take it. You smiled up at her and took her hand.
"Thanks," you said, you stood up and brushed off the dirt on your uniform.
"So, all you have to do is keep practicing that for a while then you'll be able to move other heavy objects as well. Ready to try again?" Zoe asked.
You looked at her and nodded. Zoe smiled and went back to leaning against the rock beside you.
Magic wasn't something just everyone could learn. It was an art, or a science, depending on who you asked, but it wasn't for the masses, and it came with the duty to use it for the community to the best of your abilities.
Of course you would never be able to remain as impeccably composed, as perfectly in control as she was, but you did try your best. You did put effort into willing your hands to do exactly as Zoe said and into steadying your pounding heartbeat and beating down the haunting thoughts that you were not good enough, not skilled enough, that you would never, ever make this spell work.
To relax, you took a few deep breaths for a moment. Once again, you opened your eyes and focused all your power to grasp another rock. This time you succeeded faster than the first time to grasp it. Like you usually did, you had your arms down by your sides with your hands open. Concentrating, you mentally commanded the rock to rise. Slowly, but surely, with your mind completely focused on it, the rock moved upwards. Still focused on the object, you mentally pulled it towards you.
As your mind tried to center your concentration on keeping the rock moving slowly and up in the air a few feet, you felt the drain, but you didn't let it stop you. You were able to set it down on the grass, bringing it much closer than it was before.
"Very nice, I knew you could do it!" Zoe said with a soft laugh.
You smiled back and exhaled deeply. You could do this. Anything was possible, now.
You were only at the academy for a week when Miriam called you to inform you that a warlock had broke Michael out of jail and brought him to a place called Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men. So that was where his dark magic came from? And he was like you? But a warlock? It wasn't surprising news, but you were very much aware of the darkness in him, and you started to become a little worried what he would do if he was being trained to harvest that kind of energy.
You decided to focus on your training for a while, trying to will him out of your head, though you would be lying if you said it was easy. Most days that was where he stayed, lingering where he wasn't wanted.
Then one day, after a training lesson, you heard Myrtle Snow, speaking with Zoe and Cordelia about how the Hawthrone School for Exceptional Young Men called an emergency council meeting. They were obliged to get on a plane immediately. You couldn't help but wonder what it was about. A feeling of dread washed over you as they left, you didn't know why exactly, but for some reason you got the sense that it was about Michael.
When they returned from the council meeting, you heard Cordelia and Myrtle arguing in Cordelia's room. Myrtle sounded very upset, she was raising her voice, screaming with total abandon. At first you couldn't make out what they were saying, but when you pressed your ear against the door to listen in, you were able to catch something about the Seven Wonders test.
"How could you agree to allow a male to attempt the Seven Wonders?" Myrtle snarled in disgust.
"What?" you mouthed to yourself. "What the fuck?"
A male attempting the Seven Wonders? You never heard of such a thing. You couldn't believe your ears. This couldn't be happening. It was absolutely preposterous. No man has ever been tasked to complete the Seven Wonders nor could he ever be powerful enough to become the Supreme.
"I've seen what's ahead. Carnage. The end of the world. My girls... dead. I'm scared, Myrtle. What if it's my hubris, my inability to cede my position to this boy that leads us down this dark path? I will not put my own selfish desires before the coven," Cordelia stressed.
The arguing continued and you kept listening.
"It was Michael who brought Queenie back, and Madison. You cannot deny his power," Cordelia told Myrtle.
What? What did you hear just now?
The human voodoo doll witch that was stuck in Hotel Cortez? Michael brought her back? Cordelia, the Supreme, couldn't even save her. This wasn't good, this wasn't good at all. Michael must have saved Queenie to prove something, to prove that he was more powerful than Cordelia. It didn't take a genius to piece that together. He wouldn't do that out of the goodness of his heart. You knew Michael. You started to think that maybe you should try to warn Cordelia, warn her about Michael.
"All I ask is that you delay the test," Myrtle pleaded.
"There's no time. I'm fading. My powers are leaving me. I've been growing weaker. I feel it. I'm dying," Cordelia whispered, her voice breaking.
"Oh my god," you whispered to yourself, in shock. No, you and your sisters needed Cordelia. There wasn't anyone as fit to be the Supreme as Cordelia. You couldn't imagine anyone else with that title.
"What are you doing?"
A soft and low voice came from behind you.
You whipped your head back, your eyes widened and your mouth agape. You were caught listening to their conversation.
It was Mallory. The witch who held much promise and potential and your very close friend. She welcomed you into the academy with open arms and she had always been so kind to you, always there to lend a hand whenever you needed it. You two had grown quite close over your days here and had supported one another through your triumphs and failures, through thick and thin. If you were struggling with a spell or needed advice on anything, magic related or not, she was there. It was nice to have someone to lean on, someone you could count on.
"Oh, I was just – I was looking for the bathroom, I thought–"
"You've been here for two months now, you know where the bathroom is," Mallory told you matter-of-factly.
"Okay, you caught me," you admitted in defeat. "I was listening."
Mallory chuckled a little, amused with your embarrassment. "Relax, it's okay."
"I'm sorry. It was dumb and rude of me. I was just wondering what happened after the meeting," you said honestly.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to rat you out. We all get a little curious sometimes. I was just going to let her know that her two o'clock is here," Mallory answered.
"Okay, I'll leave you to that," you said and she walked past you, entering the room to speak with Cordelia.
Now wasn't the time to tell them about Michael. But when would it ever be the right time to do so? You were now stuck in a compromising position. You didn't know what to do. Fear and uncertainty gripped your heart.
There was only one thing you could do.
Try to stop Michael from taking the Seven Wonders test. At least, confront him about it. It was a stab in the dark but it was better than just standing by and doing absolutely nothing. There wasn't much else you could do at this point.
Later that day, you had lied to your sisters that there was a family emergency back home and that you were needed there so you would be gone for a little while. You didn't want to just disappear, that would seem suspicious.
Unbeknownst to your sisters, you were headed to the Hawthrone School.
The inside of the building was illuminated by candles. It had two floors, connected by a spiral staircase, where the lower floor had a dining room and a fireplace room, and the upper floor was where the dorms and suites were. You figured Michael was in one of those but you didn't know which one so that was when you went to one of the wards who was reading in the dining room.
"I'm looking for Michael Langdon, do you know where he is?" you asked the young timid boy who had his head in a book.
"Girls aren't allowed in here," the boy said with a stutter, looking uncomfortable in your presence.
"Relax, I'm not going to give you cooties. I just need to talk to him and then I'll be on my way. I swear," you said, annoyance in your tone.
"Uh, he's in room #66," he answered awkwardly.
You had to fight the urge to roll your eyes at that. Really? It was no surprise though.
"Thanks," you grumbled before making your way upstairs.
You walked down the hallway and found several rows of doors. You stopped in your tracks for a moment and pressed your body back against the wall. You were nervous. You hadn't seen him in a little while. You didn't know what to expect.
You closed your eyes and focused on keeping your twitchy fingers still, your face composed. It wasn't any easier behind closed eyes, because etched on the back of your lids were images of him. Images you hated, but thrived on in that moment.
You thought about his intense dark eyes and high cheekbones. You thought about his hands, which you were certain must be soft. He certainly hadn't done a day of hard labor in his life to warrant anything else. His childish mannerisms made your blood boil, tendrils of frustration and resentment crawled under your skin whenever he so much as smirked at you. You didn't want to see him, but you told yourself that you had to. For the sake of your coven, nothing else, nothing more.
You released a breath to calm your nerves and then continued walking. When you made it in the double digits, you were quick to find the room #66.
You knocked on the door, tapping your foot impatiently as you waited.
The door opened and it was Michael who answered it. He was in a uniform. He was wearing a black coat with a plain white shirt underneath, an inner vest with a thin black bow tie around the neckline, and slacks. The uniform looked good on him, which you didn't find to be a surprise whatsoever. You found yourself gazing at his body for a moment too long but then you caught yourself and then acted as if it never happened, meeting his eyes with a burning intensity.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Michael asked, a vile little smirk playing on his lips.
"We need to talk," you said with a solemn expression as you stood at his doorstep, straight to the point.
Michael simply smiled, that same damned smug smile on his face that was all too familiar to you. He lifted his head and gave a barely there nod. The smile he graced you with both sent a thrill straight to your groin and pissed you off at the same time.
You were so not looking forward to this talk.