Sorciere Academy: Bewitched

Sorciere 2: Memento

"Even if you are the origin of chaos..."

ERIS

Magic can be either good or bad. You just have to choose your side.

That was what I learned in the past two years in Sorciere Academy. I was now twenty years old and I didn't think I even made a little progress. My silver lifestone was still a mystery I couldn't solve. Even the Masters and Mistresses couldn't tell what my silver lifestone was for.

I was already in my third year and at the start of another semester. Even the other students also wondered why I was still hanging around here, when in fact my lifestone was equivalent to useless.

On my first and second year, I attended classes like management, politics, history, arts, potion making, magic wielding, physical combats, magical combats and many more. I only excelled in lessons involving theories, but for practical exams like wielding magic and magical combats, I ranked last in the class.

I couldn't wield any magic—even ice. My silver lifestone wasn't related to ice at all.

Mistress Viola would always say that maybe I was doing something wrong or my abilities weren't fully awakened yet. I was not sure though. Maybe she was right. Maybe she was also wrong.

And I was not sure what was wrong with me either. This flaw made me nervous especially when I only had two years left to prove my worth in this academy. But I was glad they were not yet giving up on me. Well, maybe because I was different. I was the only one who owned a silver lifestone in the whole history of Zithea. No doubt, my name would automatically be written in history just by having a silver lifestone.

I sighed heavily. I was uncertain if this lifestone brought luck anymore.

When I first entered this academy, I became an instant celebrity because of my unique lifestone color. But after two years of invisible progress, I now became a laughingstock. They said my silver lifestone was equivalent to a normal lifestone and I should just drop out. Maybe I was staying here because I was actually someone with a thick face, but I needed to know everything about my lifestone and this was the only place where I could find answers.

In my first two years here, the Mistresses let me try wielding fire, water, ice, forest, earth, dark, wind and metal but none of these elements responded to me. None of these elements answered my calls. They let me try other means, but to no avail. It ended up that I was actually useless.

But they still allowed me to attend the lessons for magic, potion making, and combat. Although in combat, I had to use enchanted weapons to fight while my opponents used magic runes and spells.

Despite my inabilities, I still studied and memorized the hand gestures, theories, magic runes and enchantments with a sliver of hope that I could use it someday. I still had hopes that the magic lying in slumber within me would be awakened.

For potion making, I could only create normal potions, medicines and concoctions without the touch of magic at all—like a normal medicine maker. I couldn't even produce high-grade qualities because of my lack of sense of magic. And I didn't think I could make a lot of money out of it. I was always the last in class whenever lessons involved magic but I always topped the lessons involving theories alone.

I had a good sense about politics, history, arts, and management and maybe that was also the reason why they were still keeping me here.

Today, I stirred the mixture in my boiling cauldron in class. We were making a new potion but this one involved magic and that was why I couldn't create a perfect one. I pulled up the sleeves of my robes to avoid them from being caught up in my mixture. I even tried the gestures in the air but I really couldn't draw magic out of me.

"Eris Gromov."

Napapitlag ako at kinakabahang tumingin kay Mistress Armina na nasa tabi ko na pala. She was the best Sorciere for Forest or Wood magic. She smiled kindly at me.

"Don't sulk while making potions. Your mood can affect your mixtures. Let me help since you can't use magic. I'll add some for you. But be mindful of the right amount and sequence of the ingredients," she offered kindly.

I gratefully looked at her. I was glad my teachers weren't wicked.

"Ready?" tanong ni Mistress Armina na may maliit pero matinis na boses. Her green eyes gazed at me gently. Her hair was tied up in a bun using an emerald green jade pin with opals attached on it. She was thirty years old, but she looked like someone in her early twenties with a pretty young face and petite height.

I nodded eagerly.

She gestured in the air and magic sprinkled to my boiling cauldron as her mossy green robes embroidered with small flower petals gracefully moved with every hand motion. I memorized the gestures so I knew when to put the ingredients. I knew the timing very well.

In the first half of her smooth gestures, I added the ginseng root, salt, and other secondary ingredients. In the last part of the gestures, Mistress Armina wrote ancient letters in the air, and I added a beast heart. This potion could be used to glamour one's appearance—used to disguise oneself by changing one's face and voice for an hour. I continued stirring until I came up with a perfect product.

Mistress Armina smiled at me when she noticed the outcome. "You have great timing. And you know my gestures very well. That's good. If only you can wield magic, you can also top this class."

Hindi ko alam kung dapat ba akong matuwa sa sinabi niya. Unfortunately, I couldn't top this class because of that reason—I couldn't wield magic.

Bumaling ang paningin niya sa kanang kamay ko at kumunot ang noo ko. "What's that on your wrist? A silver bracelet tattoo?"

Napatitig ako sa kanang kamay ko. Agad akong tumango. "Yes. It's a tattoo. My mother said it is a memento from my father."

"It's pretty. May I see?" she asked, intrigued.

Tumango ako. Itinaas ko ang kamay ko upang mas makita niya. The silver bracelet tattoo on my right wrist was made of geometric and intricate figures of the sun, star, and artistic figures and lines. She gently held my wrist and inspected it.

"I'm not sure why but I can sense magic from it although a little faint," she said in an uncertain voice. "It's actually unnoticeable unless you pay attention. But I'm not good at detecting magic so let the other Mistress check it later."

Sa kabila ng pagtataka, tumango ako. "Maybe my father used magic to create that?"

"Maybe. But it won't hurt if you verify the real purpose of this silver bracelet tattoo. You can visit our courtyard after dinner."

Marahan akong tumango. "Thank you, Mistress Armina."

Ngumiti siya sa 'kin at tumango. Pinuntahan naman niya ang iba kong kaklase na nahihirapan sa potion nila. Napansin ko ang ilang masasamang tinging nakadirekta sa 'kin.

"Using someone's magic to perfect a potion. How disgusting," someone hissed quietly.

"She should just drop out."

Napatungo ako. It was not like I wanted to bother anyone. But I needed to stay in the academy no matter what.

***