Charmcaster opened her eyes to a wide road leading into a forest, even though it was broad daylight; looking into the dark, dense woods was an impossibility. The horizon was broken like glass shards with glowing rocks floating through the air, she noticed the stones had protection spells written on them. Everything was warped and twisted like she was hallucinating and her senses felt dull. The witch turned to her furry companion and saw that he changed forms into a humanoid creature standing at six feet tall. His floppy ears folded in front of his scarred face and he had a wicked smile plastered on. Mister White had a black suit with a red dress shirt and tie, a thin sword sat in a scabbard at his hip. The rabbit had transformed into a distinguished gentleman at a moment's notice.

"Welcome to the spirit realm, my dear," he spoke charmingly.

"Do you wanna tell me why we're here?" Hope snapped back.

"I was hoping you could answer that for me."

"What?!" Hope grabbed the bunny-man by the tie. "Don't fuck with me!"

"I'm serious as ever, miss. The spirit realm adapts accordingly to sorcerers that enter it."

"How come it didn't change for you?" Hope quizzed.

"Because I'm a rabbit, not a sorcerer."

Hope narrowed her eyes at the sarcastic comment and pushed the man away from her. She was annoyed at the fact that this stranger would rather play games with her, the witch wasn't in the mood for any bullshit.

"You're gonna be dead in about five seconds."

"Ha! Feisty just like Charm, I love it!"

There was a split second blur of movement from each individual and Hope had her wand pointed at the bunny's nose, while the rabbit-man had his hand wrapped around her wrist and his sword drawn mere inches from her jaw. The frown written on the woman's face expressed great hatred and pure, unadulterated rage for Mister White.

"Listen close and listen good, you have five- FIVE seconds to tell me why you said that name or I'm going to blow you away like a fucking cloud of smoke."

Mister White simply cocked his head to the side and smiled sweetly, "we're on the same side."

"You misunderstand me, so let me clear it up. I have no compassion for my mother because she made some stupid choices that resulted with my life being an absolute shitshow, and let me tell you something: I will never forgive her for that. Just like how I'll never forgive Hex and the Plumbers for what they did to me and Grace."

"That's because you haven't gotten the full story yet," Mister White rebuked.

"What makes you think that I want the full story? I don't give a fuck about her, my father, or Hex; they're dead so what would be the benefit of chasing after the past. What I want is-"

"Yeah yeah power and strength… just like your mother. She craved the power to fight against her clan and protect her family, and you want power for?"

"None of your business, rabbit and you have yet to tell me how you know my mother."

"I'll tell you my relationship with Charm when you tell me your reason for strength."

Charmcaster ignored the animal humanoid and took a step towards the mysterious forest. She was tired of going back and forth with the man in black and the witch was definitely tired of hearing about her mother. Hope didn't understand what made the deceased woman so special, for someone who was considered a traitor and exiled she sure was popular.

"The Snake Queen resides in this forest. If I'm not mistaken then she is your current familiar. It would be wise to seek her out in hopes that she'll give you the power you desire," the rabbit lied with a smile.

"Finally some actually useful information," Hope chanted.

"I must warn you that this forest-"

"I don't care about all that and I never did, in fact I've been desperate for a moment where I can let loose all my pent-up frustration," she growled as she clenched her fist. "I'll rip this entire forest apart until I get what I want."

The witch's eyes glowed a dangerous purple as she marched towards the forest. I don't know how you did it, Ben. But this goody-two shoes bullshit is not for me. Charmcaster thought while entering the dim trail. The bunny chuckled to himself as he watched the woman disappear. Everything about her, the vibrance, ambition, aggressiveness, and defiance all came together in a pot to create the splitting image of her mother.

"Just like Charm," he laughed.

The forest was one of three things: completely eradicated into ash, took on the dark inky form of soot and still had some smoke rising from it's embers, or engulfed in the raging fires of Charmcaster. She had been using fire magic for the better part of two hours, and the woman figured that burning the magical forest was the quickest way to the Snake Queen. Either there'd be nothing left standing between her and the Queen or the spirit would come to her. The smaller woodland creatures scurried away to escape a fiery death, while the larger and more dangerous animals stood their ground against the demoness. Those stupid enough to fight was met with afate worse than death when they were consumed by the magical flames. The forest was filled with the howls and screeches of dying beasts, and only the stench of death lingered afterwards.

An out of place temple caught the woman's eye and she made her way towards the stone structure. Charmcaster noticed a serpent's head depicted near the roof, everything was made out of stone besides the snake eyes, which were shiny emeralds. The place looked abandoned compared to the rest of the forest. Beasts finally stopped following her when she took the first step into the temple as if they knew of the terror that lurked within the walls. Hope was surrounded by darkness once she was inside, a chill ran down her spine and she clutched her wand steadily. The woman tried to keep a cool head as she walked down the long empty hallways. Her senses heightened at the possibility of booty traps and monsters.

Charmcaster arrived in a massive room with a ceiling that touched the sky. The gold and various other treasures scattered across the floor seemed to light up the dim room. The silver haired witch noticed the forgotten skeletons placed in the dark corners to serve as a warning to unwelcome guests. Fortunately, Hope's intentions had less to do with the treasures and more to do with the painting depicted on the extensive back wall. She managed to make out a war in the chaotic scene, hundreds of warriors clad in golden armor with a beautiful woman in a winged chariot leading the charge. She noticed a black serpent coiled around the woman's head like a crown and even the hilt of the sword she brandished was in the form of a snake. On the other side of the painting stood a lone man in obsidian armor, a dragon's maul was painted on the man's chest plate. What shocked Charmcaster the most was the long and twisted horns on the man's head. At first glance, it looked like a battle between "good and evil", but she wasn't sure who was supposed to be the good guy yet.

"I lost that battle you know," a gentle voice called.

Hope tensed the muscles in her shoulders and her mind immediately started to calculate an attack plan.

"I'm getting tired of people sneaking up on me," Hope replied in a nasty tone.

The witch turned around slowly to face who she was talking to and locked eyes with a pretty blonde girl in a white nightgown. Charmcaster didn't immediately identify her as hostile but the possibility of her being a threat was still on the table.

"Sneaking? But I was with you this whole time. I saw you speaking with Mister White, then proceeded to burn my forest down and enter my temple without permission. I was right next to you the entire time."
"Lady… I'm not really in the mood to get fucked with. So I suggest you start making sense real quick before you join your precious woodland creatures in eternal fire."

"You even threaten people like her-"

"I swear to God if someone fucking compares me to my mother one more time…"

"I am Septemvittata, the Snake Queen and one of the three greats in the spirit realm. I, along with Mister White served your mother many moons ago."

"Aren't you my familiar now?"

"You must be speaking of the time that you summoned me? I recognized very similar mana to your mother's calling to me so I became very intrigued and decided to investigate. Your Uncle severed the connection before the ritual was complete."

"But I summoned you in my fight with Hex."

"Summoned me? No sweetheart, I came to your aid out of respect for your mother, as if I would come to the call of some amatuer brat. Under any other circumstances, I would've let you die by your uncle's hand."

"Excuse me?" Hope spat at the young blonde with narrowed eyes.

"You're an inexperienced child full of hate with no real talent for magic, waving around a knock-off stick like you're an actual witch."

Hope's hand moved in a blur as she drew her wand from her hip but, the magical item given to her as memory of her mother, was blown to bits by a golden light. The small explosion startled her and she glanced up at the Snake Queen with a murderous glare. Septemvittata had a yellow aura around her raised hand and a calm expression on her face. Charmcaster was about to attack again when her movement became restricted by a snake made of golden mana that twisted tightly around her body.

"It makes me sick to think you're of the same blood of my former master. A weakling like you carrying on the legacy of her greatness?- DON'T BE RIDICULOUS! She was aggressive in her tactics to attain peace, but you're just a destroyer twisted by your uncle's anger-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! You know NOTHING about me. I killed Hex to be free of his bullshit!"

"And yet I still see his corruption flowing through you like a stream cutting through a forest. Charm wanted power to protect the ones she loved and you want it to do what? Destroy your enemies? YOU ARE NOTHING LIKE YOUR MOTHER!"

"FUCK YOU!" Charmcaster screamed at the top of her lungs.

She was sick and tired of being compared to her mother, never once did she claim that she was the same as Charm. In fact Hope didn't want to be anything like her mother, so why did people keep comparing the woman to her? And why did she feel so unnerved when she was told about her differences between her and Charm?

"That's enough, Septemvittata!" a deep voice called from the entrance to the room. "What will berating the girl bring? It's obvious that she doesn't want to be seen as a copy of Charm," Mister White spoke as he walked into the room.

The queen didn't say anything but she released Hope from her entrapment. She gave the witch a nasty look before turning to the humanoid rabbit, her face softened at first glance of the man.

"How could you take her side when she single handedly ruined the legacy of Charm?!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side. All I know is that fighting amongst ourselves won't solve anything. I brought her here thinking that you could train her."

"Train?!" the women yelled in unison.

"I would never train her!"

"I don't need training!"

"Stop bickering for one second," Mister White said. "I didn't ask if you wanted to, I asked if you could."

The blonde pouted, crossed her arms, and turned around in a childish manner. Mister White sighed deeply before pinching the bridge of his nose. He expected a bit of arguing but he hoped this would go more smoothly, the chances of the Queen teaching the girl were slim, but he needed her to comply. Charmcaster belonged to a tribe that used physical objects and tools to enhance their magical ability, but he noticed that Hope used mana more than she used actual spells. This put her in a severe disadvantage. Mana was like a pool of water and magical tools were the bowl she'd used to take from the pool, but in her current form she was grabbing at the water with her hands. And sure it would still produce results but not as much as the bowl would. That's why he wanted to teach her the ways of tool based magic and mastering such a skill could immensely improve her power.

"I can't teach her…"

The man glanced at the saddened familiar with a questioning look.

"But I know of someone who could," she continued. "The Dragon King would be the perfect candidate for her mentor."

"Sep! We don't have time for games!"

"Who's the Dragon King?" Hope asked curiously.

"Him," the queen answered as she pointed at the sole warrior in the painting.

"A tyrannical monster responsible for throwing the entire spirit realm into chaos," Mister White added. "But he's been dead for years now."

"What happened?" Hope questioned.

"When the war between tribes occured, it wasn't just a battle of witches and warlocks, the spirits and familiars sided with their masters and fought recklessly against others. Charm's tribe in a last ditch attempt to turn the tide of the war, after their princess abandoned them, summoned an evil deity. A god, even amongst familiars, known as Drak the Dragon King that only desired suffering and destruction. After Charm's tribe perished in their foolish attempts to control Drak, the monster went on to wreak havoc in the world of witches and warlocks. The reason behind Charm and Hector's exile was the followers of Zale's own fear that they would suffer the same fate at the hands of Drak."

"Why wasn't any of this detailed in the letters and books I read? I heard nothing about a spirit realm war or a summoned god!" Charmcaster spoke doubtfully.

"Because there were no survivors to tell the tale. Both clans were destroyed in futile attempts against the Dragon King. Only three people survived this disaster, you and your adopted parents. What you read in books were written by historians that assumed these hostile tribes destroyed each other," Sep answered quickly. "The woman you see in the picture isn't me. It's your mother…"

"To be exact, it's Charm and Sep's perfect form. An unbreakable bond between a familiar and its master. The highest form of magic that a human can obtain. That's what it took to defeat Drak along with the help from a plethora of spirits."

"Okay enough backstory. How is he supposed to help me if he's dead?" Charmcaster questioned.

"Spirits don't experience death like mortals do. We're made of mana so dying is more like a hibernative state until we regain our mana levels back."

"If Drak is just sleeping then why hasn't he come back to exact his revenge?"

The two spirits looked at each other for a moment, Mister White turned towards Hope with a frown.

"We don't know."

Hope threw her hands up in the air and rolled her eyes.

"And you expect me to form a contract with this asshole?"

"HEY! You said you wanted power, right? Well here it is." Sep roared.

"Most contracts are built on trust and respect, and the fastest way to gain the Dragon King's respect would be to best him in combat. We don't have any time to seek out any other means," Mister White explained promptly. "But as you are right now, you won't last a second with him."

"Great! More training! What is this? Dragon Ball Z?" Hope chanted sarcastically.

The Snake Queen narrowed her eyes at the woman's mockful tone. She hated the arrogant attitude of her master's daughter and she couldn't care less about the predicament her home realm was in. She only agreed to help because of the future threat that Mister White foresaw. Something worse than an out of control Dragon King. She hates to admit it but Charmcaster is one of their only defenses against the future. Sep glanced over to Mister White and saw he was deep in thought, he rarely told her what he was thinking.

"We don't have much time so let's begin, shall we?" the rabbit called out.

**PAGE BREAK**

Hope didn't know how much time had passed and everytime she asked about the time, Mister White told her the same thing: "we don't have much time". God was she tired of hearing that bullshit, over time she just stopped asking and focused on her training. Mister White crafted another wand to use, it took a while for her to get used to the feeling. It was like the little stick had a mind of its own. Her spell-casting was screwed up and the power behind those that worked was lackluster. The woman's mana control was inconsistent and amatuer, that changed slowly as they continued to practice. But Hope felt like she was being taught magic all over again and she hated it. It reminded her of Hex and that made her furious. Mister White told her that she was messing up because she wasn't in control of her emotions. Magic could be boosted by feelings but it can also hinder it. She needed to learn when to apply her anger to her spells for more power.

Hope didn't know how long it took to master the basics of magic, but the next step was to apply it to advanced magic, and when she got the hang of that she was exposed to battle. The purpose of a magical battle wasn't to defeat your opponent, it's to tire them out and exhaust their mana. A witch or warlock that's unable to cast spells is effectively useless and is no threat whether they're alive or dead. The best part about Hope's clan is that they rely on magic imbued tools that have their own source of mana, and such tactics made them last longer in battles compared to other magic-users that drain mana from the start.

That didn't help Hope much when she was faced with a creature with seemingly limitless energy. Sep's mana reserves were massive and her control was impeccable, she didn't waste a drop of mana. The Snake Queen tossed the younger woman around like a rag-doll. It was safe to say that Charmcaster was infuriated after every loss, especially since Sep pulled no punches and showed zero mercy. The constant berating and taunting wasn't helping either, only seemed to make Hope mess up more. Mister White explained to the silver-haired witch that she would have to change her strategy if she was to lay a finger on Sep, Hope usually replied with a grunt and ignored the spirit altogether.

After excruitcating matches between the two women, Hope spent her time sitting on the temple steps and looking out into the regrowing forest. She would watch all the wildlife go about their daily lives. The witch needed to clear her mind after sparring or she'd find herself going crazy. The more hate and anger she poured into her attacks, the further away she seemed from successfully landing a hit on the queen. But that was all she knew how to do. Charmcaster used this strategy when fighting against all of her enemies including Hex and it worked for the most part. This was the first time where her hate for the person wouldn't be enough.

There was a day when she finally ran out of steam and was seconds away from giving up. The marble floor she was stretched out on felt colder than usual and the blood dripping from her wounds wasn't boiling hot. Charmcaster had reached a point where she was tired of being angry and hating everything. Everything seems clearer now that her mind wasn't clouded by emotions and in that moment her brain ran a million miles an hour. Hope couldn't tell if her surroundings were moving in slow motion or she was moving really fast. The witch grabbed her wand and climbed to her feet, throwing a fireball behind her to cover her tracks. Normally her body wouldn't allow her to move so precisely in its current state, but today Hope didn't feel anything.

Sep was surprised by the woman's second wind and smiled briefly at the sudden motivation. The queen chanted a couple words and golems began to rise from the ground, only for them to be instantly obliterated by Charmcaster's spell barrage. Mister White raised an eyebrow at the display of strength, but remained quiet in his spot above the room. Sep's golden aura glowed brightly before exploding outwards in a shockwave attack. Hope encased herself in her own protective bubble until the blast subsided, and she countered with an explosive attack that was easily swiped away. Hope was breathing heavily and Sep backed down for once since the start of their training. The queen was about to speak when she was engulfed in a fiery explosion that erupted beneath her feet. Hope's final attack was a silently casted trap that she planted earlier in the fight.

"That actually stung a little but nowhere near the level to take on Drak," Sep called out after she casted a wind spell to extinguish the flames.

Hope collapsed to her knees and lowered her head as she panted and gasped for air. She couldn't fight anymore. The witch began to think this adventure was all for naught. Motivation began to leak out from the hero's soul.

"I did what you said! I gave up my hatred and focused on magic!"

"I never said to give it up. I wanted you to learn how to apply your emotions to your magic," Mister White replied nonchalantly. "But onto more pressing news, we have officially run out of time, at this rate you won't make it in time."

"Make it in time? In time for what?" Hope pried.

Mister White ignored the girl's question and turned his attention to the blonde spirit.

"You think she stands a chance?"

"In the state she's in now? Not in a billion years."

"Good thing nothing is truly zero percent."

"What? You can't send her out there! She'll be killed!"

"We don't have a choice right now and I have a plan to boost her survival rate."

Hope kept glancing between the arguing spirits and became slightly irked at how her presence was being ignored. She was about to tell them off when the rabbit-man interrupted her.

"Wishmaster might be your only hope now. I recommend finding him before fighting Drak."

"Great! Another spirit! I don't know if you noticed but I kinda don't want anything to do with you freaks other than what's necessary."

"Wishmaster is a warlock by the name of Henry Callister, he isn't originally from the spirit realm," Mister White corrected.

"I'm assuming he's an extremely powerful sorcerer since you're recommending him to me."

"Oh no, Henry can't fight for his life, but he can grant wishes," Sep chimed in.

"Wishes? Like a fucking genie? Are you kidding me?" Charmcaster snapped.

"It sounds childish but the man is capable of granting wishes in exchange for favors," the rabbit explained quickly. "But these favors can quite literally be anything. It could be as simple as picking an apple from a tree or as difficult as picking an apple from a man-eating tree."

It seems that Charmcaster truly didn't have a choice in the matter, she needed Drak's power to fight in the upcoming war against the Plumbers. This trip was originally supposed to be a journey into her ancestry, discovering the truth behind her parents' deaths and understanding her family history. And here she was still not knowing the details of everything she came looking for, it was like she was stuck in a never-ending loop. Every time she thought she was onto something it slipped through her grasp. A history lesson that transformed into traveling into the spirit realm to meet up with two familiars that trained her relentlessly, so she can go fight the Dragon King and gain his powers. Am I really just honoring Hex's last wishes? Charmcaster was confused on who she was doing this for in the first place, why did she even care about Hex's final wish. She could probably stay in this realm yet a little voice in her head was telling her to hurry back. Was it Gwen? No the voice was male not deep enough to resemble Hex's but soothing in all aspects. Ben… She remembered his lifeless eyes back at the cabin, and how much it screamed for help. It was for him. Hope was doing this all for Ben Tennyson, she needed to be strong enough to remove him from his shackles. That's why she seeked power. Hatred and anger was replaced by another emotion; determination.