Chapter 12: Glimpse of the Past

 The first time I was able to use magic after I stumbled upon a magic tool. It was box half buried deep inside the forest I used to play in. The curious little girl did the obvious thing. She took it home.

            Inside the small box was an antique pocket watch, at a glance it looks like a cheap bronze watch, but for any child, such a rare seen thing is equal to a treasure. A magic circle was carved at the back of the pocket watch. I was only a clueless girl without knowing what magic was, not to mention if I could use it. That watch however, as long as it is in the hand of a magician, it could activate itself was how it was design. That’s why, I didn’t realize the mysterious incident was because of me.  
                It all started when a stable boy happens to find a few gold coins underneath a hay stack. He took it for himself without questions. The rumor last for a few weeks. The next incident was an ordinary village girl, also found a few gold coins from the village’s well. Things became escalated when another villager found gold from the tree he was growing in his yard.  

    You would think people would feel blessed, but such illogical phenomenon happening would give unease to the people. The people blessed with gold were happy, but when only one of them died in an accident. The gold became known as the ‘Cursed Gold.’

    Maybe one of them had coincidentally witness me playing in the stables, doing my chore in getting water, or sneaking into the neighbor’s yard to get some fruit.  They realized I was the one who made the gold. To be precise, I turned whatever I touched into gold coins. The catch was it could only work on a matter never been touch before, so if the watch had turned wood into gold before, it couldn’t turn it again.

      The worst day happened when I was playing inside the woods, only to trip, fell, and lay unconscious. When I woke up, the moon had rise on the night sky and I rushed back home with the image of father lecturing me for hours.

       When I got back, I saw people huddled around a house that was burning. The wooden shack began to crumble and the fire envelop it while giving warmth in the cold night. I stood there without understanding what happened, is that my house? was the first thing I thought. The people yelled about how dare someone hid a witch and even raised one.

         I wanted to call out to the villagers, asking them to put out the fire, saved my father, and ask  why they were angry. However, even the young me knew it was pointless, and if they knew I was here, I’ll die.

             That’s why, I ran away.

             Without knowing where to go, without anyone to rely on, I ran without care, I wanted to run not only from the village but probably from reality as well. I ran for hours until I lost consciousness. Perhaps luck had helped me avoid the wild animals as I slept undisturbed, but the night continued to harass me in my dream as well while my body was struck with unbearable coldness. Every time I woke up, I could only hug my knees and cried silently in the dark. My father died because of me, that's what I understood. I cried myself to sleep while being lulled by the forest’s voice.

  I woke up the next day after I heard a scream not too far away.

  It woke me up real quick, and in the present, I still ask myself why I followed that scream that time than avoiding it. There was a woman hugging her child, she seemed to be coming back from picking up herbs, and a brown bear was closing in on them. I of course, with my childish sense of justice, wanted to help them, but what could a 9-year-old child do against 3 feet bear. Just as I was about to run back, there was a ‘clinck’ sound and I look to see the bronze watch fell next to my feet.

  Anger rose inside of me at that watch for destroying my life, and at myself for picking it up. I picked up the watch with resolve of throwing it away, the scream of the mother was getting louder, begging anyone for help.

   I looked toward them once more and saw the child crying in her arms, for a moment, I saw my own reflection on her when a crazy thought cross into my mind. I slide down the short cliff and shield the mother and daughter from the bear, “Hurry and run away!”

  I put the watch near my heart; the magic circle dimly shone and sucked something within me. The moment I use this watch, I would always faintly feel weak, but right now, I have to stay strong. Sensing the danger, the bear came rushing at me. It then turned gold from a single touch from me; cracks began to appear from its surface, which then breaks apart into hundreds of gold coins.

   Relieve washed over me and my knee gave in. The fear still lingered inside, but it was set aside when I knew the watch had helped me save lives. Just when I was about to check on them, a rock flew over to my face, a strong force hit my forehead and blood started dripping pass my cheek.

            “Stay away you Witch!” the mother shouted at me with blatant fear on her face, she was even more scared of me than the bear. Her daughter had a complicated face, not knowing why her mother was afraid when they were saved. My face must have turned expressionless at the time, I wasn’t angry nor sad, I felt mostly tired and convinced my power turned me into a monster.

            The bushes rustled, the three of us look to find another bear came up to us. The mother quickly turned tails and ran away with her daughter. Only I sat without any strength to move, because I had used the watch at a bear once already, I can’t use it to another one either.

            If I die, will I be able to see father?

            More tears ran down my expressionless face, I had already given up everything, yet I dared myself to peel my eyes open until the very end. That’s why, I was able to witness it. The wind started to gather around the bear, and in three seconds, the bear was cut to pieces. The head, legs, and torso was cut apart, and few blood splattered on to me. Am I hallucinating? my forehead still stings so without a doubt, I wasn’t dreaming.

            I heard the branch crackled from stepping. A man in black cloak, ginger hair, sharp blue eyes, broad cheeks, and a scary complexion. “Finally, breakfast!” that was the man’s first sentence.

            He slide down smoothly and as if he noticed for the first time a girl lay on the ground looking at him with dead eyes. he was taken aback seeing a calm child with pool of blood everywhere, he then took notice the scattering gold coins on his feet, with a glance he knew these coins were the result of magic.

            “Ah, so a fellow comrade, were you abandon because of what you are?” he made a smug look and his tone would make anyone irritated, but I kept on looking at the dead bear, and only kept looking at its death. The man’s smug look turned irritated and turn his back from the corpse. He gently touched my forehead and softly whispered something, a warm light wrap around his hand and I soothing feeling came to me, it felt nice and warm. The pain on my forehead was gone and the expressionless face I had finally broke.

            The man chanted another spell while he kept his hand on my head. “So that’s how it is,” he said with a sigh. He gently patted my hand with a soft sad smile, “It must have been a shock for you, realizing you were different, but trust me on this, you’re not a monster nor are you alone.”

            At his words, I began to cry once more. I jumped at his chest and cried with all my might unlike before. The man had a complicated face without knowing what to do, “I’ve already known this but I really am weak against a child.” He patted my head softly at first, but because I kept crying for 15 minutes nonstop, he might have gotten irritated. He pushed me away and pinch my nose hard, “Stop your freaking crying, it’s noisy and annoying, don’t think I’d spoil you for long brat!”  I was surprised at his turnabout attitude and had stop crying in reflex.

            Afterward he collect his bear meat after draining the blood, and pocket all the gold coins. He went back to the self-made camp and had me follow him. He let me took the time to sort out my thought and the situation that happened to me.

            “Uhm—”

            “What is it?”

            I was very hesitant to ask, but it was something I needed to know. “What am I?”

            “You don’t know, didn’t you hear what that mother called you?”

            "A—a witch?”

            “I’m not fond of that word so I called myself a sorcerer. In other words, people who could do magic and other witchcraft. That watch by the way, that’s a magic tool right? Only a sorcerer can use it, so without a doubt you are one of us.”

            “One of…us?”

            “Right, I should also make it clear the two options you have right now.”

            “Options...you say?”

            He held out two of his fingers in front of me as explained, “First, you could choose to live your life normally as a human without ever touching anything magic related. If you choose that, I’ll take you to a different village that would take care of you.”

            “Second, choose the path of a sorcerer. If you do, you live your life in discrimination, no place will accept you once you’re found out, and you live most of your life hiding what you are. Even so, we magician are forbidden to hurt humans, only a fool would do that.”

            “Why is it forbidden?”

            “We don’t have the right to cause harm to human when we ourselves choose something they despise. They should have understood the consequences the moment they become a sorcerer, at least to me that is.”

            “Then why do you become a sorcerer even though you live a hard life?”

            That man put his hand on his bearded chin and started thinking, “Hmm, it just happens.” Two of us were silent until I tilted my head and confirm without mishearing his absurdly simple answer. “In short since I can use magic why not learn it, living that way is tough, but it’s not like I learn it to be liked or anything, I learn it because I want to.”

            “Then…do people often tried to kill you?”

            “Yes, more than I could count.” His words made me shuddered, but I open my mouth to ask one last question “Is it worth it, being a sorcerer?” another silence envelop them. She thought the man didn’t want to answer her so she didn’t press further, but unexpectedly he continued.

            “I don’t know who said it, but magic is said to be another word for miracle. Performing miracles with your own two hands, I don’t think there’s any life more interesting than this. Besides as long as I don’t get caught, they can try to kill me as much as they want” he said the last part with a laugh.

            As I looked up to him with deep thoughts. It didn't took long to made my decision when I rather follow him than being sent to an unknown place when who knows the same thing could happen again. I sat in front of him and bowed my head to the ground. I don’t know what kind of face he had then, but I’m sure he was bewildered. “Please take me as your disciple!” I kept my head down until he gave me his answer, but the silent went for the longest this time. 

            “Won’t you regret it? you’ve already experience the pain as a sorcerer.”

            “I…I don’t want to live my life hating what I am and others who are the same, and I don’t want to regard myself as monster. That’s why please take me as your disciple, I can only ask this to you my life savior.”

           "Also I...I want to live a life where I could help people with my powers"

          "Are you an idiot? Why would you try to help those who tried to kill you?"

            I didn't answer him immediately, but with my quivering my voice I answered him. "If I live a life where I could die anytime, then I want my life to be something worthwhile to die for. Even if they fear or condemn me, I think it's a life I want to choose."

           When I thought about the mother and daughter that survived, there was a warm and relieve feeling inside me. Although I got hit in return, I don't want that to deny my true feelings, I can only accept the kind of existence I am. 

            That is what the small saintly naive me had thought.

           "For a brat, you sure know how to talk" My head was still down in the ground, but I look up after hearing a loud laughter from the red haired man.

            “My teaching is difficult you know.”

            “I’ll endure.”

             He held out his hand and I instinctively took it, “My name is Chester Rolex”

            “Claudia Oriente”

             That was the beginning of our story. 

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This was the longest chapter I made, I even took an all nighter hahahaha. ENJOY!!!!

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