“That sure is something… What did you do?”
“I changed the trajectory of the meteor shower a bit.”
She said this like it was nothing.
“I bet it makes all those worries go away when you see the stars like this, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess. I’ll tell you once I find something to worry about.”
“You can afford to worry a bit about the prospect of your life ending.”
I’d given up. I’d given up and tried to accept the fact that I would die. I no longer even questioned why this was happening to me. I guess I’m gonna die was my outlook.
Seeing the meteor shower, though, made me realize something: The possibilities of magic were endless; that through the power of magic, miracles were possible, and the impossible was made possible; that there was always a way, no matter what.
These thoughts rushed through my mind as I watched the spectacle unfold. Maybe I could collect all the tears through one big show of magic that moved people far and wide, or maybe these tears weren’t the only way for me to break the curse. I may end up even discovering another way to produce my own seed of life.
Magic carried with it an infinite number of results; the outcomes were as unlimited as magic itself.
“Make a wish, Meg. Wish for whatever you want most.”
“Are you cheering on my campaign for world domination?”
“Let’s choose a different wish.” Inori brushed off my sarcasm with a stern gaze. “Wish to live. To not die. To become a witch who will step foot into the world. You should be wishing for things like this.”
“Inori…”
I nodded quietly as she maintained her intense gaze.
“You’re right.”
Silently, I wished upon the stars. That I could live another year, and the year after that, and another ten years. That I could live to see the world. That the world I lived in would grow vast, and that I would live to see where it went. That one day, I would enter the world outside Lapis and meet even more people. That together with those new friends, I would create my own stories, stories that would amaze even my teacher.
This dream was the hope I needed to continue fighting.
“You know, I really do like you.”
With a big smile on her face, Inori looked my way.
“I was confused at first. Why would Grandma Faust take on an apprentice?”
“She’s always been pretty spontaneous.”
Inori shook her head and grinned mischievously.
“Meg, you’re gonna make a good witch one day.”
While it didn’t feel like an answer to Inori’s confusion about my apprenticeship, it seemed she had no desire to shed further light on the matter. The real answer would likely keep me up at night.
My teacher returned two days later.
“Hello, I’m back.”
Inori and I were met with shock when we walked into the foyer upon hearing her voice for the first time in what felt like ages.
“Look at you two! You shouldn’t leave the kitchen with bread in your hands.”
“A healthy mind requires a healthy body.”
“Oh, hush.”
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“Welcome home.”
“It’s good to be back.”
My teacher smiled before turning to face Inori.
“I apologize for thrusting this child upon you.”
“It’s fine. I actually had a lot of fun. How was the inspection?”
“There’s a plant that was spreading rapidly due to an oversaturation of magic. It was the reason for the sudden change in the ecosystem. Luckily, there was still room for correction. I amended the damaged flow of magic in the soil, so the problem will resolve itself with time. Had we discovered this any later, the damage would’ve been irreparable.”
“I’m glad you could fix it. I guess we can rest assured, for now.”
“Yes. It was the biggest job I’ve been tasked with in a long while. Meg, my shoulders are killing me. Would you please rub them later?”
“You got it, Boss.”
“Before that, Grandma Faust. There’s something I wanted to ask you about.”
“That’s rare, coming from you. What is it?”
“Would you mind me taking in your apprentice as an assistant in the future?”
Inori wrapped her arms around my neck in a headlock-like pose as she said this. My teacher was thrown off by the sudden request.
“I’ve taken quite the liking to her. She knows her stuff about magic. You sure have raised a good mage.”
“She still has a ways to go; there’s still a lot she must learn.”
She followed this with “But…when the time comes, I suppose that could be a good option for her.”
“Then it’s settled!”
Inori happily snapped her fingers.
“You heard her, Meg! So don’t go dying on me, okay? You’re gonna be my right-hand witch, so live even if it kills ya.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Ah, ah, ah. No smart talk. I just need an answer.”
The rigidity of her stern gaze as she stared straight into my eyes suggested she wasn’t going to entertain any ifs, ands, or buts. Her eyes twinkled with the spark of a child about to embark on a grand adventure—an adventure I was evidently going to be a part of, as the infectious twinkle soon spread to me.
“You got it. I’ll stay alive. How else will I become a witch who walks alongside you and my teacher at the top of the world?”
“That’s the spirit! I’m glad positivity is your only personality trait!”
“It’s not my only one.”
“I was just repeating what you said earlier.”
“Look at you two; you’re like sisters.”
Watching the two of us jest with each other put a smile on my teacher’s face.
“Great. Now that Grandma Faust is back, how about we get back to eating breakfast?”
“That sounds nice. Meg, please prepare some toast and tea for me.”
“Sure thing. Hey, Teacher.”
“What is it?”
“What was the reason you took me in as an apprentice anyway?”
This question caught my teacher off guard, but shaking off the surprise, she responded:
“Who knows?”
That was all she had to say about the topic, and it looked like my sleepless nights would continue for the time being as I pondered the answer to this question.
The Wise Witch gave me my dream. A dream, which awaited me at the end of this year after having survived my curse, to live on in a world of countless possibilities and experience the whole wide world outside Lapis. This dream rekindled my desire to live—I needed to live if I was going to see it through.
“Meg! What are you doing! Hurry up and put the kettle on!”
“Yeah, yeah! I’ll get right to it!”
Which is why—for now, at least—I need to focus on the task at hand, no matter how small, while I live for the dream that awaits.