Affinity Witch

Chapter 38: Saying Goodbye

Placing the newly-enchanted mirror on her bed, Sabrina retrieved a knapsack from her wardrobe, returning to the task of deciding what to pack, which was made more difficult by the fact that she didn't know how long she would be gone.

Part of her was fine to leave and never return, starting over some place new; the rest of her, however, would love to find the answers she so desperately sought and then return and solve the problems vexing her research.

Deciding she should plan on being gone at least a week, Sabrina packed a few changes of clothes, a small sewing kit, as well as healing powders and potions. She could find clean water and edible roots and plants in the forest.

While she wished she could bring her microscope and slides, the equipment was simply too heavy to carry. She did, however, slip numerous empty notebooks and pencils into the pack, ensuring she could record everything she learned in detail, as well as adding the notebook from her apron pocket.

Given the changing seasons and the arrival of autumn, some sort of outerwear was in order, and Sabrina made her way to the small closet in the foyer. She pushed a few of the coats aside, but as she reached further into the back, something shifted behind the heavy garments, and a package suddenly fell at her feet.

Bending forward, Sabrina picked it up, the brown wrapping paper crinkling softly beneath her fingers as she inspected the oddly-shaped package, which felt like a pillow or something equally soft. Turning it over, she noticed a hand-written note written on the wrapping paper:

To: Sabrina
Happy Birthday.
With love, Mother

Sabrina swallowed, staring at her mother's handwriting. She must have been keeping this hidden in preparation for Sabrina's eighteenth birthday. Sabrina's throat constricted ever so slightly, but her hands were steady as they unwrapped the paper, pulling the edges away to reveal soft fabric in a lustrous shade of red.

Shaking the garment out, Sabrina was pleased to see the present was a cloak, and she ran a hand over the thick material. While her mother wouldn't be able to see her wear it, she quite liked the piece and thought it fitting to wear something new on her upcoming journey.

Casting a spell on the garment to make it waterproof, Sabrina settled the cloak around her shoulders before returning to her bedroom, gazing in her wardrobe mirror as she fastened the clasp around her neck. The cloak fit her beautifully and glowed with the warmth of a polished carnelian.

"Thank you, Mother," she said, pressing a hand against the bronze clasp. Taking one final look, she then turned to her desk and wrote two notes which she stuck in her pocket, ready to give to the first Helferin she encountered. That being done, she slung her knapsack over her shoulder and strode out of her bedroom.

Reaching the front door of the apartment, she paused before turning and taking one last, lingering look around the space, committing every detail to memory, although she wasn't sure why. She'd lived in these rooms exclusively since leaving the witchling dormitory at the age of twelve, but in her eight years here, it certainly hadn't always felt like home.

A knot formed in Sabrina's stomach as her gaze landed on her mother's armchair. While she'd carefully planned for storing her research and important scientific materials, she'd left behind no instructions regarding the apartment.

Should she?

After a moment of consideration, she let out a breath and offered a tight smile to the space. No, she would continue as she'd planned...let the Hexen decide what to do with the rooms. If she returned from the Schwarzwald and if she wanted to move back in with the Hexen, she would find new chambers for herself and her research.