Chapter 39: The Twins and Practical Magic
The Practical Magic workshop buzzed with quiet intensity as students focused on their tasks. The scent of fresh parchment, inked runes, and burning herbs lingered in the air. Each station had a carefully arranged set of tools, and every spell was practiced with precision—no room for chaos, no room for mistakes.
At the center of the room, the Damara twins worked side by side, their movements almost identical. Priya sketched delicate runes onto a wooden box, while Rhea infused it with energy, her dark black eyes glowing faintly. Their synchronization was effortless, but while Priya’s expression remained calm and focused, Rhea’s frustration was barely concealed.
Joy, working at a nearby station, noticed the tension in Rhea’s posture—the way her shoulders stiffened with each careful motion, the way she exhaled sharply when the enchantment resisted her. Unlike Rhea, Joy found Practical Magic to be second nature. The structured spells, the careful calculations, the way each element followed a precise formula—it made sense to her in a way that other forms of magic didn’t.
But Rhea looked like she was suffocating.
After the lesson ended, Joy approached the twins as they packed up their supplies. “Rhea, you look like you’re about to break something.”
Priya shot her sister a look. “She’s fine.”
“I’m not fine,” Rhea muttered, running a hand through her hair. “I hate this.”
Priya frowned. “You don’t hate Practical Magic.”
“No, you don’t hate it,” Rhea countered. “I do.” She turned to Joy. “How do you make this look so easy?”
Joy shrugged. “It makes sense to me. The logic, the structure—it’s comforting.”
Rhea scoffed. “Comforting? More like suffocating.”
Priya sighed, rubbing her temple. “You’re being dramatic, Rhea.”
Joy folded her arms. “Why are you in Practical Magic if you don’t like it?”
Rhea fell silent, looking away. Priya answered for her. “Because our father is the head of Practical Magic. He’s the best at what he does, and we’re expected to follow in his footsteps.”
Joy blinked. “Councilman Ravi?”
Priya nodded. “He’s a great teacher. A great father. And Practical Magic is the foundation of everything, so it makes sense to master it first.”
Rhea’s jaw tightened. “Yeah, but what if I don’t want to master it?”
Joy studied her. “Have you told him that?”
Rhea let out a humorless laugh. “And disappoint him? No thanks.”
Joy tilted her head. “I don’t think he’d be disappointed. He’s calm, sure, but he’s not the type to force you into something you hate.”
Priya shifted uncomfortably. “Maybe. But he believes Practical Magic is the most important skill we can have. He says it teaches control, discipline, and responsibility. That’s why Dani is so good at it.”
Joy thought about Dani—stoic, controlled, always in command of his magic. He made Practical Magic look effortless, but unlike Rhea, he seemed to thrive in it. Maybe because he had fully embraced it.
“Look,” Joy said, “I don’t think you have to be stuck here forever. But if you’re still figuring it out, it doesn’t hurt to learn the basics. Even if you hate it, at least you’ll know for sure that it’s not for you.”
Rhea sighed. “I guess.”
Priya gave Joy a grateful look before nudging her sister. “Come on, let’s go before Father finds us still standing around.”
As they left, Joy lingered for a moment, staring at the runes she had drawn during the lesson. Practical Magic was easy for her—but was it what she truly wanted?
For now, she wasn’t sure.
And maybe, like Rhea, she wasn’t ready to choose just yet.
