Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Once upon a time in a land across the silver sea, there lived a boy in an ordinary village who bore the name Magnifico.

The people who called this village home were neither rich nor poor and led a peaceful life out in the countryside, under the rule of a king who yearned and mourned for his ever-fading youth.

Not much of his plight was felt in the farthest corners of the land, but still the taxes rose higher and higher, until every bad harvest spelt doom for the villagers and left them with neither food to eat nor wares to sell and barely any gold.

The bright-eyed youth saw the suffering of his friends and neighbours and knew that this could not go on. He just couldn't stand to see them sad any longer, and so, one day, he decided to do something about it.

Late into the night, once the moon stood at its highest point and bathed his home in a silvery light, Magnifico knelt beside the window and stared up at the starry skies with hope and determination.

Clasping his hands together, his gaze locked onto the brightest of them all, and he whispered with every ounce of devotion he could muster.

"Oh, mighty Wishing Star, I beg you, hear my plea. Listen to the wishes of the people in my home and fulfil their every desire, so that they can be happy forevermore."

And to his surprise, his plea was answered.

The golden star twinkled playfully once it sensed his pure-willed heart. Its glow grew brighter and brighter until a dazzling flash of light erupted in the sky, and vanished in a shower of sparkles that gently rained upon everything within the land.

Marvelling at the spectacle, Magnifico felt a deep sense of joy settle in his heart as he watched the last of the light fade away; the spot where the star had been, now empty, which made him all the more certain that his wish had been answered.

Satisfied with the outcome, the boy returned to his bed and fell asleep with a smile on his face. Oblivious to the consequences his actions would bring.

Slowly but surely, the wish took hold. Rich or poor, young or old, none were overlooked as their wishes were granted one after the other and left a trail of chaos in their wake.

Money wandered from house to house, livestock came and went, sending their owners into blind panic, appearances changed, clothes were swapped, worm-eaten bodies rose from their graves, possessions, wares, even people started to appear at random places, and it did not stop there. The weather changed rapidly, crops grew within a night and died just as quickly, the animals multiplied, became cursed, mutated into different beings altogether, and this horrid madness only grew worse until the wish at last reached the castle of the king.

From window to window the light wandered, while the people waited with bated breath, fearing that his wish would bring even worse amalgamations.

Yet nothing happened.

They waited and waited, but still, nothing. The night remained quiet, and so did the next. Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months, and still no sign of any further changes except for one little thing.

The people grew tired.

Little by little, this feeling spread, leaving them weak, ashen and fatigued.

It didn't matter if they were young or old, fit or fat, sick or healthy; no one was spared.

Thus, it did not take long until people dropped like flies onto the ground, lying there with peaceful faces and still chests as they embraced the eternal sleep.

Time marched on, and the quiet grew until no one in this kingdom was left to tell the tale. 

...Or so they believed. 

As Magnifico, who had since grown into a young man, had been the only one who was spared by the curse.

He didn't know why nor how that happened, but he knew one thing for sure.

He would never let such a thing happen again.

The end."

As these final words faded into the night, the thin book flipped shut and landed on the small pile of fairy tales that they had already finished.

Tiredness lay heavy on his bones as the father rubbed his eyes, the flickering candlelight leaving phantom images beneath his eyelids. But even now, when the shadows were at their darkest, and the stars speckled the skies, his daughter remained unsatisfied with the number of stories they've read, even though she should've been asleep half a candle ago.

Suppressing a fond smile as her face peeked out of her blanket, Daeril yawned as loud and dramatic as he could before stretching and rising from his chair.

"Well, this is it for tonight, time for bed, Asha." He said as he grabbed the pile of books at his feet and stumbled over to the other side of her room.

"What?! But I'm not tired at all! And what about the princess and the frog? We wanted to read that too!" The little girl exclaimed in shock, her disappointed face hidden from view as he returned the books to their rightful place.

One after the other, they settled on the crooked shelf until only one of them remained in his possession. With his grip firm around the leather cover, the requested tale stared up at him; its cover faded and golden lettering all but rubbed off.

Daeril paused and thought for a moment.

Maybe... just maybe. If he was quick enough, he might be able to squeeze in one last tale, but his body decided for him. Sharp, raw pain shot through his leg and extinguished his wishful fantasy.

Barely able to catch himself on the shelves of the bookcase, Daeril halted the pained gasp in his throat and let out a low wheeze. Hard as it may be, he forced his legs to move and hobbled over to his daughter's bedside, where he knelt on the wooden floor, keeping his breath measured as best as he could.

"No. It's late now, your father is tired, and you, little princess, need your sleep." Daeril said with a small smile on his lips, though his daughter was anything but happy with this arrangement. Sitting there with puffed-up cheeks, she glared at him and whined, "But you said we would read it today."

"I know, I know." He sighed, the familiar line tasting bitter on his tongue, "I promise we'll do it tomorrow, alright?"

But Asha did not listen. Huffing loudly his daughter crossed her arms, turned around and refused to meet his eye, no matter how much he pleaded.

"Haah... Asha, please-"

Daeril tried yet again, when not even a pinky promise seemed to do the trick, when his words were abruptly cut off by a voice behind him.

"Ah, having trouble with my favourite grandchild?" Sabino asked, as he parted from the shadows like an unruly ghost.

The light revealed the deep wrinkles on his face, which carved through his flesh like tree bark and spoke of a life well lived. In an instant, Asha's head snapped up, all previous displeasure forgotten as she stared at Sabino with wide, glittering eyes.

"My, were we reading fairy tales again?" her grandpa pointed at a random book on the shelf as he continued, "ahhh, do remind me, what was this one about? I fear I have forgotten."

With her attention solely trained on him, Sabino smiled and nodded when it was due, while the shooing motion directed at his son was kept concealed behind his back. Taking the opportunity that so graciously presented itself, Daeril stood on shaky knees and limped towards the door where he disappeared in the shadows— a dull thump following his departure.

Asha took no notice of it, so engrossed was she in her ramblings about the different books they had read. She talked and talked, recounting tales about magical fairies on an island in the stars, genies trapped within oil lamps, brave princesses, evil witches and of course her favourite of them all.

The legend of the Wishing Star.

Once her chatter came to a close, Asha paused for a bit and fidgeted with her blanket.

"Grandpa..." she said, her eyes round with hope, "do you think the wishing star is real?"

His smile didn't waver at her question.

Not in the way his eyes did.

"Why do you ask?"

"If it can grant any wish, then surely it could make Papa better again, right?"

Sabino hummed softly and let his gaze wander to a distant horizon that no one could see but himself.

"I'm not sure, but every story has a bit of truth in it if you know where to look."

His answer was a hopeful one.

Even so, his shaking hands betrayed him. This moment, a mere fleeting second in his long life, ended when clarity returned to Sabino’s eyes.

His smile morphed into something more cheerful as he slapped his hands onto his thighs and promptly said, "Now off to bed with you, otherwise you will be too tired to learn that new spell tomorrow."

The end of his sentence trailed off into a whisper, but Asha heard it nonetheless.

Her face took on a serious expression — as serious as it could be on a giggling child — and without another word, she dove beneath her covers and buried her face in her pillow once more.

"Alright, alright! See, I'm already super sleepy!" She exclaimed, from beneath the fabric, drawing out a chuckle from her grandfather. With gentle hands, he pulled the blanket away from her face and pressed a light goodnight kiss onto her forehead.

"Sleep tight, Asha." He whispered and let her tiny, grinning face be swallowed by darkness as he closed her door with a click.

The hallway was draped in shadows so deep that even blood would appear as nothing but black stains on the surface. Only the tiny window at the end of it let through a few slivers of light — just enough to make out shapes in the darkness. Sabino stifled a sigh and turned to his left, where he was met with a gut-wrenching sight that burned itself into his memories time and time again.

Half collapsed and wheezing, Daeril sat on the ground with glassy eyes that stared at his shaking hand – the other firmly pressed against his mouth to keep the black liquid from escaping.

Sabino felt his heart stutter in his chest.

How long would this have to go on?

With practised motions, the father threw an arm over his shoulder and hoisted his son up with a tight and firm grip. Like drunkards, they stumbled through the dark, careful to avoid the various furniture in their way as Sabino led him back to the bedroom.

Pushing the door open with his foot, they entered a room whose contents were but faint silhouettes in the silver moonlight and approached the already occupied bed. 

Dropping him as quietly and carefully as he could onto the space beside Sakina, Sabinos eyes emitted a faint golden glow as he scrutinised his son, whose breathing had evened out and muscles no longer spasmed.

After a bit, the glow dimmed again and revealed the familiar warm brown eyes of the eldest in the family, which lingered on the right side of his chest.

"Why do you do this, Daeril?"

He whispered when his son's hooded eyes met his own. "Why do you still refuse to let me heal you? Has this not gone on for long enough?"

Daeril averted his gaze and pressed his lips tightly together. This age-old argument between them seemed to never end.

At his silence, Sabino sighed and furrowed his brows. "It's because of that man, isn't it? I told you that something is wrong with him! Ever since that ceremony, you've only been getting worse! If you had only listened-"

"Stop." That lone word, however quiet, rang through the room like a shout.

"This has nothing to do with him." Daeril hissed slowly. "My sickness has nothing to do with him. I will no longer tolerate your foolish conspiracies, so stop it."

His words trailed off into a coughing fit that wracked his body like an earthquake, leaving him scrambling for the cup on the bedside table that he downed in one gulp. He spluttered a little. Droplets of water mixed with red, splattering onto the bedsheets and floor beneath him.

Sabino shook his head and suppressed the scathing remarks that lingered on his tongue. It would do them no good to start fighting so deep into the night.

Raising his head again, the old man, the father, frowned as he looked at Daeril and quietly asked,

"Then why do all this then? Keeping up a facade, lying to the doctors, to your friends, your child. I did not raise you to be a dishonest man."

Daeril's face fell. His cheeks were hollow and ashen like the craters on the moon.

After a beat of silence, a soft huff escaped him, and he smiled. His tired eyes glinted with a spark of resolve.

"I do not want the last memories of her father to be painful ones."

.

..

...

"-ha"

"-sha"

"Asha, wake up! You're going to be late for the selection!"

The loud voice of her mother and the rapid knocking on her door ripped the seventeen-year-old from her slumber quicker than a bucket of water to the head.

Groggily, she sat up, with limbs like lead and eyes that refused to open. Feeling the cool, uneven floor beneath her feet, she slowly breathed in and let the faint scent of forest and breakfast guide her to the waking world.

Slowly, bit by bit, her eyes adjusted to the sunlight that streamed through her curtains, until she felt awake and alive enough to actually move.

Standing up, her brown eyes flicked around the room and assessed the mess she had caused in her late-night panic.

Clothes and undergarments in various colours, multiple accessories and even a few paint supplies lay scattered all over her floor. While she couldn't recall what exactly occurred, she still remembered the sheer amount of worry she had felt over making a good first impression. Though for whom...?

One or two minutes passed as she stared at it with vacant eyes, until her brain sluggishly recalled her mother's words and brought everything together.

Right! The selection!

Oh dear.

Oh dear, how late was it?!

Like a spooked deer, Asha sprang into action and stumbled over her belongings to the left side of her room. Draped over the chair at the crafting table was a dress which she unearthed mere hours prior and chosen as her last resort, despite the considerable time it had spent in the back of her closet. It was a soft, floral blue with frills on the sleeves and collar, and stitched on buttercups and blackthorns that wound around the waist as well as the hem of the dress.

Swiftly putting it on and checking herself over in the small mirror on the table, she decided that this would have to do. Any additional accessories would be nothing but a waste of time – time that she did not have if she wanted to be punctual.

Casting one last guilt-filled glance at the mess in her room, Asha turned to the door and exited her room, lest she'd do something she'd regret.

Walking down the sparse hallway where the built-in bookshelves held nothing but dust and spiderwebs, she passed by three doors until she reached the staircase. Hurrying down, Asha bee-lined for the kitchen that was tucked beneath the stairs and scarfed down the slightly cold porridge in record time before rushing to the entrance.

Halfway there, however, her steps faltered to a stop. There in front of the fireplace, her quivering gaze was glued to the two portraits atop the dark mantel, which were each flanked by a faintly burning incense stick.

A bittersweet smile formed on her face as her eyes strayed to the left one, with a small bowl of rose petals beside it. It was a portrait of her father, with his smiling eyes and tired lines — details that she had hardly noticed before.

The day they had let it be made was still vivid in her memories, untainted by sorrow like most of them were nowadays.

On that day, a travelling Fair had come to town and set up in the marketplace in the city. Back then, they had just received a sizable amount of money from her father's employer, and given the rare opportunity, he had wasted no time in taking her there at once. 

The feeling she had had upon seeing the vibrant colours, artists, shopkeepers and acrobats, was what inspired her to pursue her craft, though if everything went well, she would no longer have time to do it.

Huffing softly at the thought, she looked at her father's face one last time and shifted her gaze to the right.

The second frame was dusty and unkempt, the painting within so old that it was hardly visible anymore, but Asha still remembered who it portrayed.

The stinging in her eyes made her avert her gaze, lest those unwanted memories resurfaced and she knew full well that now was not the time to wallow in the past.

Clasping her hands together, Asha closed her eyes and recited the prayers reserved for those long gone, before whispering their names and wishes into the smoke that scattered in the air like ribbons.

Just as it regained its proper flow, the door opened and revealed her mother, who was carrying a basket full of older clothes to mend, vegetables and meat.

Surprised that her daughter was still at home, Sakina put down the basket and approached her with a swift reprimand on her lips, that died as soon as she saw just where Asha was standing.

A bittersweet smile, almost identical to her daughter's, bloomed on her face as she settled beside her and did her best to stay composed. Even in the passage of time, the pain never truly faded.

"I miss him, mother," Asha murmured, and Sakina, despite her best efforts to stay calm, pulled her daughter into a tight hug.

"I miss him too." She replied, a watery smile adorning her face as she kissed her child on the cheek. "I'm sure he would be proud of you and your accomplishments. Now come on, you'll be late. And don't forget to pick up a few new books at the market. Our material is slowly running out again."

Feeling lighter than before, Asha returned the smile and, in her rush, almost stumbled over a stack of books that stood beside the sofa.

Stopping in the entrance, she slung the leather bag with all her needed supplies over her shoulder and let it vanish beneath her dark blue cloak.

"Oh, and Asha! Don't forget this!"

Her mother exclaimed hastily as she shoved a yellow letter into Asha's hands.

"Thanks, mother. I'll be back at midday!"

Pressing one last hurried kiss onto her mother's cheek, Asha swiftly exited her home and, without further ado, began her journey to the city.

Hustling and bustling about, the small village was as lively as ever, as people came to and fro to fulfil their daily work.

The farmers tended to their fields, planting or harvesting the myriad of vegetables, while the other half took care of the orchards instead.

The resident hunter and his apprentice brought fresh game from the Mirney woods to use for meat and fur, and engaged in healthy banter with the Leatherworker down the street.

Children caused mischief in the gardens of their neighbours and stole fruit or snapped flowers to surprise their mothers with. The young shepherds herded their cattle towards the grazing grounds in the east, and the few merchants that still passed through here dragged their carts along the road and either stayed to set up shop or continued their journey to the farthest corners of the kingdom, in the hopes that the other villages still stood. 

Walking along the dirt roads that wound around the simple houses, Asha took what little time she had to simply look around and calm her jittery nerves.

It had something relaxing to it, watching people go about their day, even if most refused to acknowledge her existence. Only a handful – including the newcomers and those that had not yet heard the tale – waved to her and bid her good day, but at this point she hardly cared anymore. Maybe once the selection was over, they would no longer be wary of her.

About halfway to the entrance of the village, where the forest clearing opened to a patchwork of fields as far as the eye could see, Asha suddenly noticed that she was being watched.

Her steady pace continued, but her eyes did not stand still, as she discreetly looked around to try to catch the perpetrator.

In the midst of moving bodies, something small hushed around, occasionally cutting through the hedges and gardens if there was not enough space to sneak through.

Smiling to herself, Asha stifled a snicker at this endearing display of stealth. Her mother's students truly knew how to put their knowledge to use.

She continued to walk, whistling softly as she reached the middle of the crossroad that held the human-shaped patch of grass on the ground – something that everyone knew to avoid like the plague – and thus had little to no cover to hide in. Listening to the rustling leaves, she turned around, yet was surprised to see that, instead of a sneaky child, her little follower was a small brown spotted goat.

She had never seen this goat around before and was sure that, had one given birth recently, one of the farmer's children would've told her for sure. However, before she could try and find its owner, the goat loudly bleated at her and scurried off into a neighbouring flower patch, vanishing from sight.

Asha, still bewildered by this encounter, kept her eyes on the retreating animal and thus did not notice in time where she was going when the world suddenly turned upside down.

Landing face-first in a bed of orange lilies that sat side by side with Aconites, she lay there, dumbfounded for a scant few seconds before reality came crashing down. In a panicked hurry, she stood, trying to step on as few flowers as possible, as she stumbled back onto the dirt outside and wiped away the excess dust from her attire.

Before she could leave, however and pretend that this never happened, a raspy voice cleared her throat behind her and forced her to stand still.

Her guilty eyes met the watery ones of the resident hag, whose disdain was carved into the valleys on her face. She was a lady of little tact and did not hide her sneering expression, nor the condescending look in her eyes, as she looked her up and down and frowned upon seeing the lilies that were flattened by her descent.

"I am so sorry, old lady Theora, it was an accident!" Asha stammered, old, uncomfortable fear stirring in her bones. "I was in such a hurry that I did not see where I was going and stumbled over your fence. I can buy you some new ones at the market if you'd like?"

Theora scoffed, but did not move to yell at her like she usually would with trespassers. Her mood seemed to be more mellow today, thank her lucky stars.

"Fine. Just get out of my sight, you hell spawn. And don't you dare to come back without the exact sort of Lilies that you broke, or I'll call the guards on you." She croaked and turned heel to fix her garden.

Asha's face split into a pained yet relieved smile. She never stopped with that threat, did she... Though there was little use to be salty about this now. Thus, Asha did what she did best and smiled through the scorn as she thanked her thrice for her rare act of kindness and swiftly went on her way.

Far beyond the bountiful fields where the farmers sang their songs and worked to sustain their people stood in all its glory the pearl of the Mediterranean sea. Such was the name given to the castle and the Star-drop Amphitheatre that was built atop the hill, as they were the tallest and grandest buildings on the entire island.

Being so close to the city walls, Asha could already taste the salty breeze that wafted from the coastline as she approached the gate to the port; beyond which, the dirt road was replaced by even cobblestone that made her shoes click with every step.

Boats and ships in all shapes and sizes came and went as their passengers departed with goods or knowledge to trade. While far on the horizon, mirrored in the wine coloured sea, the colourful sails and emblems of the ships from foreign lands were strewn across the water like flowers at a festival.

Tempting as it was to stay and sketch the beautiful sight, Asha knew better than to stop now and forced herself to keep moving further and further into the city until she – at last – reached her destination, completely out of breath. 

The castle plaza was almost symmetrical – with two walls on each side and the shallow pools before them that were filled with water lilies. Both were covered entirely in mosaics and showed the King on one side and the Queen on the other, as they cradled the wishes of the people close to their hearts and shielded them from harm.

The most eye-catching thing, however, was the statue underneath which Asha briefly rested. Carved from pure white marble, it depicted the royal couple in each other's embrace, as they held the wishes high into the air, with pride in their expressions.

Asha's gaze lingered on the blue glass orb in their hands, yet dared not acknowledge the bitterness in her heart. What she once yearned for the most had long since proven impossible, and no magic, however powerful, could ever bring back the dead. 

Getting up to her feet, Asha rid herself of these ridiculous thoughts and quickly fixed her dishevelled appearance before approaching the castle gates. 

Two guards stood, stiff as brass statues, at the entrance, clad from head to toe in armour and weapons which glinted in the midday sun. 

"State your business." The left one said as soon as she came closer. His tone was clipped, detached almost, which did little to tamper her resurfaced nervousness. 

"I'm here upon the invitation of King Aashadhar," Asha replied and held out the letter with the royal crest stamped onto the lower corner.

"Another candidate, huh?"

He grumbled as he looked her up and down before turning his attention to the letter and skimming through the contents. A heartbeat passed, and the guard returned it with the same detached professionalism that he greeted her with. 

"You're the last one. Someone will escort you upstairs." 

That was the last thing he said before he resumed his duty.

Asha's previous calm and excitement were all but gone, now that the gates had closed behind her and left her all alone in the large hall. Each step she took echoed garishly loud within the oppressive silence and made her feel insignificant between the towering walls. 

With no real idea of where to go, she kept walking forward until she spotted a small silhouette at the end of the hall. It was a lady who had an air of importance around her, which was reflected by her pristine, wrinkle-free robes, speckled glasses and a perfect bun on her head. Her eyes kept flicking between the entrance and some paintings on the wall until she spotted her and loudly clicked her tongue.

"You're late." She stated, her tone stern and devoid of warmth. "Hurry up. The King and Queen will be here soon, and they hate unpunctuality."

Before Asha could say anything in return, she was hurriedly dragged upstairs through the maze of halls and walls until they reached a small room on the third floor somewhere near the kitchen.

Asha had to suppress a gasp when she crossed the doorstep.

While the room could be considered small – compared to the rest in the castle – it was, nonetheless, about twice as large as her home and had such large windows that not a single spot was untouched by light. 

The other people, however, did not share her awe. In one long row, with their backs straight and heads held high, stood about ten other candidates, each more different than the last.

The rich ones — the children of merchants and nobility — wore the most expensive clothing with as much embroidery, pearls, silk and fancy materials as possible. Even one jacket would take her mother a couple of months to make, if they did not provide the supplies beforehand. And in between the pompous peacocks stood the common folk, who attempted to replicate the elegance the others were born into, but could at most be compared to stiff brooms.

Despite being completely silent, without greetings or hellos, their eyes couldn't have spoken louder as they stared at her with unconcealed disdain when she joined the end of the row.

Only the person next to her, a girl about her age, seemed indifferent to it all. 

She wore a patched-together dress, like the maids on the market, whose bright red colour had begun to fade. A wooden cane kept her upright, and occasional tremors wracked her hands and legs, as if she were in pain.

Suddenly, coal-like eyes bore into her own, carrying a look of annoyed resignation. Heat flooded her cheeks, and Asha, embarrassed at being caught, only managed to mumble a soft "sorry" before turning away to stare at the wall instead. 

They stood like this for a while, each contestant busying themselves with their thoughts, until at last the silence was broken by the creak of the door. Like the dawn after a long dark night, the royal couple strode inside and effortlessly pulled all attention towards them. 

The pearly white fabric of their matching outfits was embroidered with countless little seashells and stars that shimmered with every step they took, like the sun on the water's surface. Additionally, the king had a long cape clasped around his shoulders, whose underside was made from bluish green velvet, akin to a peacock's feather.

Stopping in the middle of the room, they took a moment to study them all.

"You have all gathered here today to hear who was chosen to be our official apprentice." Aashadhar, the wish bringer, began as he languidly walked back and forth and looked each of them in the eye in passing. 

"Many of you have shown great potential and have yielded good results on the tests, but as much as we'd like to take you all, there is only room for one. And so it is with great pleasure that we grant the position of apprentice to our youngest in this room. Asha."

She froze. 

What? Her? They actually chose her? She did not mishear it, did she? 

In spite of her disbelief, no one else stepped forth or said a word to break the silence, and in the midst of her doubts, the king met her eyes. 

"Yes, yes, don't be shy. Step forward and accept this role with pride." He encouraged with a benign smile and made her follow suit.

"As for the rest of you," Aashadhar continued once she settled beside him, "I am looking forward to seeing you at the wish ceremony again tonight. Maybe you will be the lucky one today, whose wish will be granted."

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the others, who filed out of the room in a row, some seething, some on the verge of crying, some so disappointed they said nothing at all, before turning back to Asha once the room was empty.

"Now come, we shall explain to you your duties."

After yet another walk through the vast and, quite frankly, confusing castle, they stopped before a massive door at the end of a hallway. The door was made from oak, thick and sturdy like the oldest trees in the forest near her home, which was lavishly decorated with various jewels and other things that she'd have to sell five years' worth of paintings for. 

However, as nice as the door might look, it could not compare to the tower that lay beyond. Its enormous structure housed a spiralling staircase which seemed to go on forever and a ceiling so high that it could barely be seen from the ground.

Slim windows wound in rings along the wall, which were made almost entirely from stained glass and depicted faraway kingdoms and figures she'd never seen before, whose colourful image fell beautifully onto the white stairs beneath her feet. 

Every now and then, they would pass by a platform with a singular door that led to a different part of the castle, but Asha was too focused on the walls to care.

Clean and smooth without a flaw, the surface changed the further they walked. About three etages before they'd reach the very top, shiny gemstones were embedded in the blank stone, each cut into a perfect rhombus shape and carefully placed side by side to create an orderly pattern.

These gemstones came in the most peculiar colours and seemed to almost whisper whenever she took a step, as if begging her to reach out and touch them. Asha had half the urge to ask the king what they were, but decided against it. It wouldn't be proper to ask such questions out of the blue. And maybe once she was more knowledgeable, she'd figure it out on her own.

Soon enough, they reached the very top that housed their personal study and library.

Entering through the grand wooden door, Asha was immediately drawn to the many books rowed up on the shelves in the walls. A sight she hadn't seen in ages and oh so terribly missed. The study itself was very spacious and clean. With a large desk in front, upon which countless folders and papers were stacked, and a half-burned tapestry behind it.

Opposite the bookcase was a large black glass wall that cut off the room from whatever lay beyond, while on the far right, near the window, stood a small desk that was bare but clean with a single chair behind it.

What really drew her eye, however, was the glass case that took up a rather large section of the bookcase. Carved into the glass were fine silvery pictures of wolves, blackberry thorns and other wildlife imagery in almost surprising detail. And within said case, sat on a pedestal a large old book with the words "Abiram" engraved on its spine. Its cover had darkened and pages yellowed from age, but the golden clasps and dragon in the middle remained untouched by time and almost glowed within the sunlight.

"Ah, I see you have an eye for beauty," Aashadhar said with a teasing lilt as he approached her and the glass case, with an expression she could not place. A hand snaked around her shoulder and lightly dug into the flesh. "This book is an heirloom from Amaya's father. A good man, he will be remembered." He said flippantly and pulled her towards the desk before she could muster an answer.

"Now, Asha." He continued abruptly, "Do you know why we choose apprentices?" The king wondered aloud as he trailed his hand over the bound books in the third shelf.

Asha blinked.

"Uhm, because you want to share your teachings with the world and how to use magic the right way?"

"A good answer." He chuckled, "But that's not it."

Lifting his gaze from the books to the tapestry, Asha followed suit and took in the woven image. 

The very top showed a peaceful village, nestled amidst rolling green fields, golden wheat and forests on the edges. The further her gaze travelled, however, the more scorch marks donned the fabric, until at the very bottom, right next to the large burned hole, stood a smiling young boy with his sheep, whose only remaining family was the disembodied hand in his grasp, that hadn't been swallowed by the fire. 

A forlorn expression slipped onto Aashadhars face as his fingers toyed with the string of a red leather book.

"You see." He began in a grave tone. "In my hometown, there was once a king who taught his people magic. It was supposed to be a gift, a sign of trust and honour, but not all of them were worthy of its power. Uneducated on its proper use, the magic began to slip from their grasp and leave the people in a frenzy. By the time the king took action, it was already too late. They'd gone mad with power and ultimately destroyed each other, causing the kingdoms fall.

"I was young back then, but I remember to this day how all my friends, family and neighbours fell at the hand of their cruelty..."

Aashadhar sighed and turned back to her. "That is why we choose those who have great potential in the art of magic and the will to learn and prove oneself to the world. Only in the right hands can magic prosper."

Asha nodded. What else could she do? Never had she thought that such a tragedy haunted their king. He, however, seemed oblivious to her turmoil and continued without pause. "But, before we can fully accept you as our apprentice, we need to discuss one last thing with you."

Flipping open the little red book, he placed it onto the table and turned it to face her. At the very top of the page was a name that froze the blood within her veins.

"So, Asha," the king said lightly as he tapped the page with his index finger. "If I remember correctly, you are related to Sabino, is that right?"

Asha's hands stiffened, and dread ran down her spine. Through sheer will alone, she managed to meet his gaze when she answered.

"Yes, that's right. He was my grandfather."

The king hummed in thought, and the creak of a door was heard upstairs.

"He was exiled for treason against the crown for the use of magic." He quoted the written words, while Amaya walked up behind him with a small box in her hands.

"Now, Asha, I do not mean to insult you in any way," He quickly placated, whilst she fought to keep her cool. "It's just that we need to be sure that you will not try the same thing."

Asha vehemently shook her head. She couldn't let her chance escape. Not like this.

"Of course not! I am loyal to my home, I would never attempt such a thing!" She exclaimed with stuttering breaths and would've continued, had the queen not raised her hand.

"Good. And don't forget that it is we who teach you your craft. It would be in your best interest to not stray from our path." Amaya said, her gentle smile a stark contrast to her words, and stepped closer.

"Once you accept this badge. You will officially be known as our apprentice. As long as you swear to uphold our teaching and trust our every word without deceit."

In one smooth movement, she opened the royal blue box and revealed a small badge in the image of the royal crest, with a green emerald in the middle.

Carefully, Asha lifted it and pinned it onto her dress under the anticipating eyes of the royal couple. A few seconds passed, and once it sat properly on her chest, their expressions morphed into satisfaction. "Now then," Aashadhar said, beyond pleased, "your official work day will begin in two days' time. Until then, you will have enough time to familiarise yourself with the castle layout if need be.

"Your own workbench will be located near the lab, and do not touch anything without asking for permission first. This is for your own well-being; further rules and tasks will be explained to you by our secretary, Metella the coming day."

Asha let out a shaky exhale and bowed to them as deeply as she could before turning heel to leave the castle. She should've expected that her past would be brought up in some way.

Although it had been years since his banishment, the wounds of what followed remained and haunted her every step. But Asha had enough of this. Enough of walking in the shadow of someone else's mistakes. Now the time had come for her to prove to herself and others that she would use her magic for good.

Once outside, Asha straightened her brand-new badge and set off to the Bazar.

From the upper city wall that led to the main road, one could clearly see that the expansions were still underway, all reserved for the newcomers beyond the sea and former villagers who sought to reach Utopia. In between the maze of scaffolding, the vague remains of the wall could still be seen, whose bricks they used to build new foundations for the houses. The progress was much further than what she'd seen last, and it was sure to be completed by the end of the year.

As she continued downwards, elegant snow-white buildings as tall as pine trees flanked the road. Some of them were overgrown by blooming flowers where birds nested, and butterflies sipped their nectar. Others were painted, had tiles with different engravings or mosaics etched into the walls. And almost all of them had bars, inns, or boutiques on the ground floor, that attracted curious onlookers with eye-catching displays and blatantly showed off the wealth of the kingdom.

Asha couldn't help but smile. The closer she got to her destination, the stronger the scent of spices, fruits and delicious street food became. While in every open corner, musicians filled the air with song, artists painted their smiling clients, and street performers bedazzled with their various magic tricks.

Hidden beneath the shade of fabrics, the town square was packed full with stalls of all shapes and sizes. Pots and pans, silverware, fruits, vegetables, imported items from overseas, glassware, fabric — whatever the heart desired, it all could be found here.

And since she had ample time left until midday, she decided to splurge a little and get her mind off things. Thus, her first stop was the stand of the gardener, who sold local flowers of his own cultivation, as well as seeds and items from other merchants that he had no use for anymore.

"Hey there, Simon," Asha greeted. "How much for five orange lilies?"

Albeit happy to see her, the smile on his face faltered as he wrapped the bulbs in an old piece of fabric. 

"Fifteen silver."

Asha blinked.

"What? This much? Did they raise prices again?" She exclaimed in disbelief, her shout drawing the attention of nearby vendors as well.

"Hah! We couldn't believe it either!" The Fishermen from across guffawed, a pair whom she had helped before, by gutting and cleaning the fish or repairing the nets a couple of years back – what could she say, money was tight.

"That damned expansion is bleeding us dry. Three raises within two months! You'd think they're building a new castle over there! And for whom? Some lazy outsiders that don't even do any work around here, just sleezing off on their majesties, pah!"

Asha bit her lip and rummaged through her coin sack. If everything got more expensive again, she'd have to make sure that she saved enough for the actual important stuff.

"Uh, how about I take three?"

"That would be seven silver."

Hmm. Still a lot. But it should be doable.

Nodding, Asha gave him the coins and carefully pocketed the lily bulbs before saying her goodbyes. Now only two stalls were left. 

First was Bazeema, a young woman who had moved here from the kingdom of the sun. She sold fabrics from her homeland and frequented the port for new shipments.

Looking at the items she offered, Asha's eyes landed on a golden one that shimmered in the light. It reminded her a bit of a story she had read in her youth, about a flower born from the tears of the sun. That, however, mattered little when faced with the price. Two whole gold coins. Each is worth sixty silver coins. Never before had she been more grateful to wait for some special fabric to arrive, lest she'd spent her hard-earned money on a scam. 

And now armed with new fabric for her mother and the apology for Theora, she at last reached her final stop. The book stand, run by Hal and Safi. 

The two old ladies had once worked at a library before it had to be torn down, due to too few books and a lack of funds to keep it all in order. And now they stayed here and sold what few books they had left and whatever the former villagers could spare them, while they waited for new shipments to arrive from overseas. 

"Ah, Asha dear, how are you? How is Sakina?" Hal asked when she spotted her from afar and swiftly stood up on wobbly knees to greet her. 

"We're both doing well, Hal, thanks for asking," Asha replied with a kind smile. "Do you have anything new or interesting for sale?"

"Hmm, nothing that would be of much interest to you. Only a bit about math and a few children's stories." Hal replied with a sigh. "The publication requirements have grown even stricter, and the book press barely prints anything anymore. Especially after the last Inspection." 

"Yes, I've heard that a village in the north – Windshore, I think – even burnt down from the book burning and caused all of the villagers to flee here. Who knew they'd hoard so much illegal stuff?" Safi chimed in from her chair and paused her knitting. 

"Serves them right. They shouldn't be reading any of those false stories and – dare I say it – spread them and their magic on our lands, after all the king and queen have done for us!" 

The two ladies continued to squabble with one another like an unstoppable storm, which got more and more heated the longer they talked about those forbidden books, until Asha cleared her throat and brought them to a stop.

A little startled, Hal coughed and turned a bright red. 

"Oh, right, I'm sorry, dear, just us old geese talking." She stammered and pulled from behind the counter a stack of books. "Here, it should also have some advanced problems and sentences for the children to solve."

"Thank you, Hal, I'll give my mother your regards." She replied, carefully gathered the books into her arms, threw twenty silver coins onto the counter and rushed off with their screams trailing after her for daring to pay them this much for their wares. 

Asha's arrival was announced with a bang when the door slammed into the wall behind it.

Instantly, the lively room was silenced, and about twenty pairs of eyes stared at her as she huffed and puffed in the doorway with sweat pearling down her face. 

Like every third and fifth day, the village children sat in a circle around the low table at the fireplace and listened to her mother as she explained the vast multitude of topics, ranging from math and literature to history and more. 

Today, as well, was a day where they solved math problems, as shown by the papers strewn all over the floor. Her mother, still deep in her zone, looked up once she finished writing and immediately brightened upon seeing her at the door. 

Standing up on hurting knees, Sakina clapped her hands together and addressed the children in a firm tone,

"The lesson is done for today. I expect you to finish your work until next time, otherwise your story won't be picked, alright?"

Eagerly nodding, chatter broke out once more, and the children swiftly gathered their papers and books and rushed past Asha like little whirlwinds, while some others took a moment to thank Sakina personally for her lessons and time. Once the last child had left their house, her mother finally relaxed and pulled her daughter into a hug.

"Asha, you're back! I'm so glad you made it in time," she said with a smile on her face, "Go freshen up. You can tell me everything during dinner."

Shooing her – despite her protests – towards the stairs, Asha dragged herself to her room, where she was met with a catastrophic sight. 

Her clothes covered the entire floor, still as crumpled as they had been this morning, alongside multiple self-made accessories and her paint supplies. 

A loud, annoyed groan tore from her throat. What had she been thinking when she left such a mess behind? Curse her past self, curse her! 

Even so, despite her complaints, Asha could do nothing but trudge through the room, sort through her garments and throw them onto her just as messy bed. 

She managed everything methodically, sorting her clothes by colour, size and function and slowly but surely fell into the workflow she so adored. Only when her hands grasped air instead of fabric, did Asha's focus snap and she noticed that she had already finished folding them all, which left a handful of accessories, made from polished stones, sanded glass, seashells, pearls and more on the floor. 

With deft hands, Asha hung them onto the birch branch above her work desk and placed her fallen paint supplies onto the chipped table, whose dried strokes of paint and scratched surface spoke from its years of use. 

On it were stacks of paper, coal pens, paint brushes, a couple of unfinished projects and her mortar and pestle in which her half-grinded paint still lay. 

Rowed up on the wall, stood several jars of paint ingredients, filled with berries, stones, seashells, flowers and spices; next to a small bottle of rare squid ink that she had almost sold her soul for, back when she had spotted it at a foreign merchant's stall. 

A smile formed on her face, both from pride and sorrow. 

This practice of creation. Making beautiful things from seemingly nothing was something she cherished more than anything in the world.

It was the epitome of human expression and just so happened to make good money as well. 

Thus, Asha was a bit saddened that she would not be able to do this for quite some time, though it was a small sacrifice for her new life as an apprentice. 

Now that her room was clean, she could finally change and replace her dress with a greenish-white one that was made to mimic seafoam, before returning to the kitchen downstairs. 

Humming a merry tune, her mother stood at the counter, bathed in dappled sunlight and cut up vegetables for the moussaka she planned to make. 

Approaching her from behind with her bag in hand, Asha put on her apron and cleared her throat so as not to startle her and her delicate work.

"Ah, Asha, there you are. I almost thought you'd never come down." She said with a smile and continued cutting the eggplant into thin slices. "So? How did it go?"

"Well, how about you see for yourself?" Asha replied with a grin and held out the silver badge. 

Sakina gasped. 

Her hand flew to her mouth as she stared, wide-eyed, at the proof of her new status and after a few seconds of dumbfounded silence, she whispered, 

"Is... is that the..."

"Yes, Mom, it is." Asha answered, her grin widening even more, "I did it. I'm an apprentice now." 

As soon as those words left her mouth, Sakina pulled her into a tight hug and let her laughter be muffled by her shoulder. "I knew you would. I am so proud of you, my daughter. So so proud. Now our troubles are finally over!"

Both basked in this moment, warm and soft, as the emotions of the day spilt out and were replaced by the gentle comfort of each other's embrace. 

Until, after a seeming eternity, Sakina pulled back and brushed away the lingering tears from their faces. 

"Ah," She gasped with a glance at the window ", look at the time, if we don't hurry up, we'll be late. Come, you can tell me everything that happened while we cook."

Colour spilt across the sky like paint on a canvas, once the time had come for the sun to kiss the sea. Gold, orange, red and pink slowly consumed what was left of the blue and transformed it into a soft violet, while far beneath the celestial dome, stood atop a hill, the Star-drop Amphitheatre, where the citizens of Rosas gathered once again, to partake in the wish ceremony. 

Asha and her mother were some of the last to arrive and could thus witness the cheering and chattering crowd in its entirety, as they waited for the king and queen to appear. 

The Amphitheatre was, like most buildings in Rosas, built from pale white stone, with pillars that encircled the structure. Each one was as tall as a pine tree and decorated with light blue flower garlands, as well as huge bluish green banners that brushed the ground. Every so often, petals rained onto the people — courtesy of the playful wind– which painted a scene worthy of an artist's attention, though none were present to immortalise it as it deserved.

Lower and lower the sun set while the crowds murmurs rose in anticipation, before a hush befell them at the sound of Fanfares. With bated breath, they stared at the wooden doors that led to the castle bridge, each passing second worsening the tension, 'til the doors burst open with a bang and let a wave of sea green smoke waft onto the stage.

Too thick to see through, yet still beautiful, it glittered in the golden light and spread out in gentle waves.

However, when the smoke was just shy of touching the front row, a gust of wind appeared. Once, twice, thrice it cleaved through, shaping it with every slash until the smoke resembled a small glittering ball. 

It hovered in the very centre of the stage, around the height of an adult man, while its sparkling intensified by the second. Brighter and brighter the little ball grew, before it burst apart in a dazzling flash of light and transformed into pure white wisps like birds.

These spectres flew above the mesmerised crowd in wide-spread arcs, circling them in a dance none knew, until their form crumbled into glittering snow and vanished from view at last. 

A beat of silence passed, and the people exploded into cheers – the volume rising at the sight of their king, who appeared with a big grin on his face and welcomed them all to this month's ceremony.

"Citizens of Rosas, it is my pleasure to see you all here once again and be able to say that we have chosen a very special wish today; but first, we need to announce something else."

Aashadhar exclaimed loud enough to be heard in every corner and threw in a pause for dramatic effect.

"Two new citizens will be joining Rosa's today and give their wishes to a better world!" 

Parting from the mass of people accompanied by heartfelt cheers, the young wedded pair from a foreign land approached the stage hand in hand, whilst sporting a healthy flush on their excited faces. 

The king welcomed them with open arms and asked them gently once they stopped,  "Are you ready to give your wishes to the kingdom?"

Without hesitation, they nodded.

"Then give me your hands."

He closed his eyes, and once their palms met, something in the air shifted. Like the calm before a storm, it grew unnaturally quiet, and Asha felt goosebumps form on her skin. 

In the fading colours of twilight, a light spilt forth from their joined hands, which wound around their arms, like a shimmering band of blues and greens.

Even once Aashadhar let go, the band continued to wrap around itself, layer after layer, while words and symbols danced around it in a rhythmic sway. The ball pulsed with life as the band reached its end, and when the last of it joined the sphere, the rough surface glossed over and transformed into a frosty blue orb. One for each of them. 

From the quiet arose thunderous applause as the pair blinked, their eyes dazed and unfocused yet feeling strangely light in some way. 

Aashadhar opened his eyes as well, the green glow within them fading, and gave them a gentle smile. "Thank you for entrusting your wishes to our kingdom. They will serve us well."

As the couple was led back into the crowd by the guards, Aashadhar shouted, "And now to our final event!", drawing excited cheers from the crowd once more. 

"It is with great pleasure that I can, on this day, fulfil the wish of... Jacob!"

A young man, whose status had shaped his body since birth, strode forward and gave his hand to the king. Asha recognised him, for he was one of the other candidates she'd seen that morning. A bit larger than average, he was dressed in a bright red vest that seemed to barely hold onto its buttons and puffy trousers, though one might wonder if those weren't simply his legs. 

Just like before, a flash of light spilt from their joined hands, but instead of a band, a bright blue orb appeared above them and floated into Aashadhar's grasp. 

When he touched it, a shimmer crossed the surface, causing the orb to disperse in a shower of light. From its centre, liquid gold arose that slowly shaped itself into a shining flare and gently settled in Jacob's hands. Awed, he stared at the physical form of his wish and bowed before the king. "Thank you, your majesty. I will cherish it for the rest of my life." – thus bringing the ceremony to a close. 

The next morning, Asha found herself once more before the golden gates. 

The air was fresh, and the breeze played with her hair and dress, yet not even the cold of dawn could dampen her excitement. Not long after the sun had crossed the treeline of the forests, the gates creaked open, and the secretary appeared, who allowed her inside with little more than a nod. 

"Before we start the tour," She said in a cold tone, "you shall receive the appropriate uniform that you are to always wear within these walls." With a wave of her hand, a curt-looking maid appeared, who held three neatly folded garments in her arms. 

Asha accepted them with a smile, even when it was not reciprocated and felt the coarse fabric between her fingertips. The apron lying on the top was made from deep brown leather and was thick and sturdy to the touch. A beige dress, followed by its rough texture, though the way it was made suggested that it wasn't easy to be ripped; hence, it was clearly meant for work rather than leisure. And the Underskirt she'd wear was the lightest of them all and made from simple cotton. 

Unwilling to let them crease, Asha swiftly placed them into her bag and rushed after Metella to continue their tour. In the following hours, the secretary showed the many rooms and hallways that made up the building, and thoroughly explained the different rules and tasks she had to fulfil. 

Washrooms, kitchens, gardens and stables were all on the ground and first floors. Here, the most she'd see would be the maids, cooks, gardeners, stable boys and other people of lower rank who tended to the castle and its inhabitants' needs. 

One of her duties, as she was told, would be to fetch ingredients from the forbidden part of the garden, which was exclusively reserved for the king and queen and, of course, the apprentice – though Asha did not get to see it, as Metella swiftly led her to the second floor. 

Here, she explained, was a second kitchen. One that she would get to know quite fast. 

Even though it was meant as a backup, for festivities, guests or other occasions that would overwhelm the first one, it also served another function, as it took care of their majesties' food, exclusively. None were allowed to touch it, except the most trusted servants and the apprentice, hence why she would also be responsible for fetching it whenever they could not. 

Most of the floors that housed meeting rooms, guest rooms, ballrooms and other fanciful things that normal people should not be curious about, were of little importance to her. Other than that, the study and lower floors were free for her to enter, once she familiarised herself with the layout, all except for the dungeons below. 

However, there was one rule that applied to the entire castle grounds. 

Everything she learned here was not allowed to leave. No spell, no word, not even a story. Similarly, she could not give or lend any of the books, ingredients, potions or other possessions she was allowed to take home to other people.

This was but one of a list of rules that she had to obey. 

Among the most obvious, she was expected to always be punctual, never wander the halls or stay in the study unsupervised and not touch or move any expensive items or decorations at all. Any violation would lead to either punishment or a straight-up revocation of her position. Hence, why Asha was very much inclined to follow them to the letter. 

At long last, once the sun stood at its highest point, the tour finished, and Asha and Metella returned to the ground floor. As curt as ever, the secretary said, "The rest of the day, as well as tomorrow, are yours to spend as you please," and turned heel without another word, leaving her to her own devices. 

Asha did not waste this chance. As soon as Metella had vanished, she pulled out her notebook and began to walk the halls again, whilst roughly sketching a map of the castle and anything that caught her eye. The lion head on the east wall, the cracked step that led down to the first kitchen, the ornate door of the tower that stood across from a large stained glass window depicting a falling star. All of it, she noted down and kept wandering around with her head in the pages 'til she stepped through a wooden door. 

Without realising, Asha had entered the second kitchen, whose staff were thankfully out in town to stock up on ingredients, and thus could not scold her for entering unannounced. 

So entranced was she in her drawings and messy scribbles that she did not hear the person behind her until they cleared their throat. 

With a squeak, Asha's head shot up, pressing her book onto her chest out of reflex. It was the same girl she'd seen yesterday. With the faded red dress, the cane and the indifferent expression. In her other hand, she carried a basket of eggs, which she placed onto the large counter in the middle of the room. 

The silence between them stretched on.

"I uhh- " Asha stammered and hesitantly showed her her book. "I was just... drawing. Drawing a map. Of the castle. I didn't want to get lost immediately, you know. It's just that this castle is so big and- and I can get easily distracted so-"

"You forgot a shortcut."

Asha stopped. 

The girl had spoken for the first time. Her voice was a little rougher and deeper than she thought, but still pleasant to the ears. 

"What?"

"Here," she said and pointed at one of the hallways that led to the stables. "There is a shortcut. If you look out of the window, there is an old staircase. It gets you straight down to the gardens."

Asha blinked at her owlishly. This she had not expected to hear. Still, she noted it down and looked at her with hesitant yet eager eyes. 

"What else do you know?"

And so, the duo, by circumstance, found themselves hours later, still seated at the very same counter while Asha filled out her map. Countless notes and scratched-out pages could be seen, but this close to the finish line, she would be a fool to stop.

Her fingers were stained black by charcoal, a few stripes glittering on her nose and cheek, all while the girl corrected her here and there, whenever the need arose. 

Asha, in all honesty, didn't remember when she last had this much fun with another person. 

This tranquil moment, however, was doomed to end when the girl perked up at the sound of muffled talking, which could only mean one thing. The staff was back from the market. 

In a flight of uncharacteristic panic, she shot up from her seat and yanked Asha from the stool. Shoving all her papers, pens and belongings into her arms, she shooed the startled apprentice out, just in time for the staff to arrive and have loud chatter replace the quiet.

"Ah, Isra, you got the eggs. Excellent, we can start now, ey?" A cook said heartily and clapped her on the back, before shooing her over to the stool to peel the potatoes.

Meanwhile, Asha remained standing behind the closed door and listened to their voices with fading bewilderment. Isra huh? A fitting name, she thought. Although her behaviour was not the most polite, Asha had to admit that it was refreshing. Brute honesty was miles better than any forced politeness with which she had to deal before, and who knew, maybe if luck was in her favour, they would meet again.

The heavy oak doors loomed above her, as silent and final as a mountain, whilst she chewed on her lip. Today was her first day as an official apprentice, and her new life was one single step away. Yet despite all the excitement, she couldn't find the courage to enter.

Something held her back. Thoughts or doubts, she could not name it. But even so, fate did not wait for her decision and took matters into its own hands.

No sooner than she raised her hand to knock, the door opened and revealed Queen Amaya, whose calm face twisted into a startled one. 

"Asha?" She asked, as she stepped aside, "What are you doing in front of the door? I was just about to send for you. Come on in, your first lesson starts now."

Asha, beet red from embarrassment, quickly lowered her arm and hurried after her without a word. Her first day, she already made a fool of herself. Good going, Asha. Just great.

Nestled in a small corner near the window was her desk, its once blank surface now equipped with a stack of papers and ink to write. This time, however, the large black glass wall was gone and revealed a large circular room; the floor clad in polished tiles and walls decorated by glittering rhombus gems – identical to those in the tower.

The tables near the windows that ran along the wall were filled with as many bottles, flasks and bubbling elixirs as the eye could see, that boiled atop a magic flame and hissed quietly as the king moved around to regulate the process. The crown jewel of the laboratory hung undoubtedly, at the centre of the ceiling, in the form of the largest crystal Asha had ever seen. Its colour was that of pine needles and pulsed with a soft light like a heart.

However, that's where her tour ended and the work began. With little time to waste, Amaya guided her to her desk and gestured towards the ten stacked books placed upon it. As soon as she had read them all, she would be able to move on to the more practical stuff, since they covered all the basics and rules she had to know if she wished to retain her new position.

"Theory of Magic", "Flora and Fauna around the world," Potions and Elixirs", to name a few, lay at the very top, and so, with little to lose and much to gain, Asha got started.

The hours passed by in a flurry of pages as she buried herself in written words. It was an exhilarating experience. To read and learn about magic after all these years through a righteous guiding hand, instead of forced secrecy and methods that led her astray. With every chapter she finished, another of her papers was filled; notes, remarks, summaries and drawings littering it in orderly fashion, until the light outside began to dim and a hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her focus.

Blinking, her eyes still swarmed by afterimages of text, Asha looked around and noted with surprise that the study was empty, safe for Queen Amaya, who stood at her side with a candle in her hand. A bemused expression coloured her regal face, making her appear much softer in the warm firelight.

"You did well today, Asha," she began as her apprentice hurriedly stood to sort through her papers and clean the mess upon her desk. "Such dedication is exactly what we hoped to see from you. However, it is past your curfew and time to go home. You don't want to worry your mother any further, do you?"

"Of course not, your majesty," Asha replied instantly and tucked the thread-bound papers into her bag. "It is my honour to learn from you and thank you for warning me. I tend to get a little consumed by my work."

"That I can see." Was all that she said as she guided her to the door, her silhouette mirrored in the black glass behind her. "May you have a restful night and remember to not be tardy next time."

"Yes, your majesty," Asha replied, lightly flustered and bowed to her in tandem with the closing door.

As swift as the morning wind, the next day came to be, and the cycle began anew.

"Flora and Fauna around the world", as its name suggested, documented all magical and non-magical things that could be found in the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and even beyond the current known world. Aside from being a very fascinating read, it also showed just how many beasts roamed the wilds beyond and all of their fantastical or medical purposes that had been discovered so far.

The feathers of the firebird tended to continue burning even after they were plucked and made for excellent additions to potions for passion and revenge.

The mist left behind by ghosts that roamed the moors by moonlight could be woven into fabric to turn it invisible if touched by man.

The powdered wings of fairies would give anyone who consumed them a rush of euphoria so intense that patients believed they were able to fly – and could, if used incorrectly or in the wrong doses, lead to quite many accidental deaths.

However, there weren't only good or neutral ingredients to be found. Human bones, blood and ashes, as well as a multitude of plants that grew on rotten, sour soil, were marked with warnings and even smaller margins, which she couldn't read. When she asked Aashadhar about it, however, all she received was a frown and a gentle reprimand to not waste her time on those things, as it was nothing she should know or ever need in this line of work. 

Well, they knew it best, did they not? 

After finishing almost half of the book, Asha was suddenly shaken out of her zone by the ring of the bell that hung above her desk, which was specifically reserved to call her to the kitchens. Upon her hurried descent down the stairs, she bumped into Isra again, who sent her a surprised look back as if she hadn't expected to see her again so soon. However, she did not have time for idle chit chat, no matter how delighted she was and passed by her with a simple, friendly nod.

Once there, Asha took a deep breath, straightened out her beige clothes and knocked on the door before entering.

The kitchen, despite its somewhat rare usage, was busy as a beehive. From one corner to the other, cooks, carvers, scullions and more, worked their station or moved between them to make sure that everything was as perfect as it could and should be. A delicious smell wafted from the bubbling copper pans and pots, the same ones she'd seen often on the market for prices she couldn't afford, while shouts and orders rang through the air and kept the place in motion.

Just as she was about to make her presence known, a scullion who could hardly see beyond the tower of clean dishes in his arms, carolled right into her and made them both kiss the ground with a loud crash. The deafening sound hushed everyone faster than a lightning strike, though the moment was quick to wane, when the staff descended upon them like a venue of vultures.

"Who are you? What do you think you're doing, walking in unannounced like this?" the head cook asked in a clipped tone as the scullion was dragged away to be thoroughly scolded, and waved his spoon in her direction. Asha had hardly any time to respond when a passing cook slapped his arm and pointed at her chest.

"Look! The badge!" He hissed into his ear, and at once, all ire dissipated from the man's face. "Ah, the apprentice! Why didn't you just say so?" the head cook heartily exclaimed with a booming voice and quickly waved the others back to work as he wiped his sweaty hands on his stained apron.

"Excuse my behaviour, we just have a lot to do around here again, so emotions often get the better of us. Just wait a bit, and we'll give you the meals soon." He remarked with a grin once the hustle and bustle returned to normal and excitedly began to talk about the dishes they had prepared. He talked and talked, about sauces and flavours, different consistencies between meats and various cooking techniques, until in what seemed like no time at all, Asha's once empty arms were laden with six plates of food, and she was ushered out of the kitchen with words of encouragement, to begin the long trek up the stairs once more.

And so, in a pretty repetitive fashion, her first week passed, alternating between new books, ever-increasing run-ins with Isra and smaller fetching quests that rushed her around the castle to the kitchens or various storage rooms, until the day of the test arrived.

Every evening 'til then, she spent the late-night hours reading, rereading and memorising all her precious notes, which she had bound into a slightly crooked book and hid beneath her bed alongside all sorts of other old trinkets. Thus, it was no big surprise that she passed with flying colours and was, as a reward, gifted her own lab equipment by the king.

It was a small set, "beginner-friendly" as Aashadhar put it and perfectly suitable for the first few potions she would make. The actual lab that the king and queen presided over was much more complex and oversaw a variety of processes at the same time, which required a keen eye and razor-sharp concentration – hence why she would only be allowed there once they deemed her ready for the more difficult work.

To get things started, however, Asha's first task was a simple sleeping potion, which she would have to make all on her own. Setting up the equipment was easy enough; it was the ingredients that posed the challenge. The potion required fresh ones to be most effective, thus the storage rooms were out of question, and Asha had to go down to the gardens to collect them from there.

Walking down the brittle stairs that led to its shaded corners, Asha sighed deeply and felt brief relief when her feet touched the grass below. How Isra got down on such unstable steps was a mystery to her, but one that she could hardly ask about, considering how brief their run-ins were.

Nevertheless, she pushed on and walked onto the vegetable field that was flanked by fruit trees and bushes of all kinds. Carrots, leeks, tomatoes, salad, and more could be found in the various sections, which were tended to by gardeners who all but ignored her as they worked. Some hummed songs under their breath, others told stories of their homes, but none dared look her in the eye as she passed by and approached the forbidden section.

It was quite strange to see no fence to guard the rare and priceless plants that grew on this isolated soil, but she hardly had time to question it before she got her answer. As soon as she stepped over the thin array scratched into the ground, foreign magic rushed through her and immediately brought her to a halt. The spell felt like thorns upon skin, inside and outside, that tightened evermore to keep her in place.

Uncomfortable as this sensation was, it only lasted a moment once the spell brushed over her badge and the emerald resonated with it. Like a leashed dog, it retreated, allowing her lungs to breathe again whilst a shudder made goosebumps appear on her flesh. What a horrid feeling this was. Poor souls who ever tried to steal here. Their spirits had surely been torn apart.

Unwilling to think about this any longer, Asha focused on the task at hand and fully entered the forbidden ground.

The plants, herbs and fruits looked so much stranger in real life, compared to the illustrations on the pages, that Asha had trouble recognising them at first. The many different shapes and swirling colours, ranging from sunset red to frosty blue, were a feast for the eyes and almost too distracting to ignore. If she could, she would've stayed here the entire day and simply drawn those beautiful specimens until nightfall, but alas, her duty forbade it.

Swiftly scurrying around, she collected the needed Dawnfall Lavender, wispy bells, star poppy seeds and stuffed them with much care into her borrowed magic isolating bag, which would keep the different types from clashing with one another.

The seeds she ground into a fine powder, from the berries she extracted both juice and skin, and the Lavender was plucked off its flowers and thrown in after the liquid had come to a simmer.

Asha stirred the pot with her left hand and took notes with her right to document the process until the potion was finally how the book described it to be.

A swirl of blue and purple, with a surface as calm as the sky.

One call and Aashadhar appeared at her side, whose work for once did not require his immediate attention and scrutinised hers down to the smallest detail. Apprentices were, after all, expected to master perfection. His quiet, stern gaze made her nervous, almost fearing that she had done a step wrong after all, until he straightened again and nodded at her in approval.

"Good work. Add fewer poppy seeds next time. A too high a dosage can knock someone unconscious with a single whiff." Was all he had to say before he returned to his own work and left her to do as she pleased.

And so life moved on.

Week after week, the book piles became higher, her equipment stained by flame and soot, and her clothes yellowed through potions. Her mother taught the village children and encouraged them to practice their skills, whilst gaining more and more requests for her clothes mending and weaving, thanks to the newfound fame she had gotten at the hand of her daughter's new status. Their majesties brought home more and more strange and suspicious ingredients for their work, which never failed to make her queasy. Old lady Theora planted the requested Lilies with indiscernible satisfaction, and the long-term residents of her village even started to greet Asha now and then, which was quite the welcome change.

Isra and her had also begun to cross paths more and more often, which transformed the initial awkwardness into a tender familiarity as they grew ever closer to something like acquaintances and perhaps even friends. And so, on an ordinary evening like any other, Asha, in the midst of returning from the study with a freshly dried batch of whisper leaves that she was to sort out for storage, came across Isra once again, who stood half slumped against the wall with her leg clutched in her hands and an upturned basket of potatoes at her feet.

Without wasting any time, Asha helped her friend up, slung an arm over her shoulder and led her, slowly but surely, over to the windowsill. Every grunt of pain that followed made her wince, but she kept going until Isra was seated at last and her leg propped up on the cold stone while the good one remained on the floor.

In the time that it took for the pain to fade, Asha gathered up the potatoes and placed the cane next to her leg before taking a seat on the windowsill as well. A long, slow exhale followed as she relaxed and moved her gaze to the city beyond the castle walls, whose pale radiance was bright even in the waning light.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

"… not as much anymore. I thought I was fine for the day, but it seems I was mistaken." Isra replied, casting her leg a look of disdain.

These days, it's been getting worse, ranging from brief flashes of pain to cramps and spasms. Neither had any idea why it was like this, as winter was not approaching and fall was a month away. Potions and elixirs Asha could not offer, given the rules bound to her role, but the wish to defy did not vanish, and she knew not what to do.

"Should I help you back?" Were the only words of comfort she could offer in her torn state, which were, as usual, politely declined.

"No need, some company will be enough. I don't want to waste your time too much."

"It's nothing." Asha sighed, "That was my last task for today anyway." And so they returned to shared silence. Inch by inch, the sun moved on, ever closer to the distant horizon as they basked in each other's quiet presence, when Isra suddenly spoke up again.

"What's that in your basket by the way?" she asked, casting the gently whispering leaves a look. Asha smiled. Even if Isra did her best to seem unbothered, her curiosity for magic always managed to peek through. "Those are Whisper Leaves, from the private garden. I need to sort them out soon."

"Why? What do they do?"

"Well, they help soothe your emotions and are quite popular in teas."

Isra hummed. "Hmm, do you do such things often?"

"Sort through ingredients? Yeah, they can't exactly let anyone have access to their storage room and garden. But that's not all that I do."

Her eyes sparkled as she leaned closer, and Asha did not need her words to know what she wanted. Bending the rules a little, surely wouldn't hurt anyone, she thought with a smile. "I make potions, read books, copy texts, get to watch them work, and soon I'll even start learning spells!"

A surprised hum left her friend's throat as she leaned back. "Oh. I kinda expected something more. This sounds almost exactly like what I do every day." She replied, somewhat disappointed. "Are you sure you're actually learning anything from them?"

Asha scoffed. "Pfft, you wouldn't get it anyway. It's nothing like that at all."

Isra, in turn, rolled her eyes at her denial and slowly slipped back onto the ground. "Alright then, but don't tell me I didn't tell you when you get bored with it."

Despite it being nothing more than a mere bout of curiosity, Isra's words continued to invade her mind time and time again and caused the once dormant seeds of doubt to fester. All of a sudden, she noticed things she never seen before and felt as if she, after all these months, had not actually learned anything. More and more often, she found herself thinking that the potions she created were not special at all, or how the spells seemed worded wrong and much different from what her grandfather had taught her.

Whenever such a thing occurred, Asha hurried to banish them post haste, of course, and yet… 

Every now and then, when she tried to ask their majesties about her progress or anything relating to the books she read, her worries were dismissed the moment she voiced them and left her in a loop of uncertainty that did little to help her case.

Once she got to practising spells, however, that was when the doubt struck true.

Holed up alone in her room with the crooked, self-bound spellbook, Asha, beneath the silvery light of the moon, closed her eyes and reached inside, deep into her core. Right there, bundled tightly within chains of promise, her magic twitched and turned, still resisting despite its long years of slumber and faintly shone a muted gold.

As the book instructed, she reached out, gracing the outer layer and twisting a faint, loose whisp with her fingertips. Guiding it like sand through an hourglass, she pulled it forth, between the ribs and twisting veins, up to the shoulder and down her arm, ever closer to her damp and sweaty hand.

The feeling was torturous. Like a needle snaking through the flesh from within. The sharp twisting pain, too intense to be kept silent, forced her to muffle her gasps with a pillow whilst cold sweat pearled down her skin. Even when the thread reached its destination, the pain did not fade. At best, it worsened from the effort to keep it in place.

Asha wanted to scream, to cry, to break away, yet she forced herself to keep going. She had come so far already; there was no chance she was stopping now.

Amidst the pain and tears, she grit her teeth and kept on pushing until a faint golden glow appeared beneath her skin. Focusing it onto a nearby coal pen, she willed it to float. At first, it all looked promising when it moved and twitched, slowly lifting above ground like a baby bird, and yet the moment was shattered when pain erupted in her arm.

Her limb spasmed in place, unable to feel how her fingers dug into the flesh amidst the white-hot pain that crawled upwards to her shoulder. Breathless, her mouth opened to a silent cry as she fell with a thump onto her bed, only faintly registering the blood running from her nose.

Gradually, her body lost feeling as the pain ran its course, leaving behind weakened arms and fawn-like legs.

The warmth of her magic felt distant as it retreated into her core, like a tide receding after the storm. So vicious and wild it had bared its teeth at her, for forcing it to move in a foreign path. And as she lay there in a daze, missing the echoes of her past, when her magic still felt right and flowed its natural course, she did not notice the faintly glowing badge on her table, nor the thin crack that formed at its edge.

Dusk had long since settled when Asha trudged through the empty streets, the scant few that still crossed her path looking as tired as she was. Asha could sympathise very well with them. Both physically and mentally, exhaustion was a weight that clung to her like a leech and paired with the near constant ache in her muscles, her existence had not been a very nice one for a while.

Bit by bit, her feet dragged on, fueled by the promise of food and sleep, when all of a sudden she stopped and dropped her hand to her bag. The second her eyes spotted the gate to the port, she remembered something.

Shit. Where was her sketchbook? Papers, pens, some stuff she bought from the market, but no sketchbook in sight. She could not have seriously lost the last gift of her father! Oh, for heaven's sake, no wonder her bag felt so light when she left. But she last saw it in the study, and the rules...

Asha gnawed on her lip. What should she do? She could hardly go back past her curfew, lest she'd break the rules. But what if they discovered her sketchbook first? Given that she partially used it as a diary, she would be found out immediately. No, this could not come to pass. Rules could not be broken if no one found it out. Hastily turning around, Asha rushed back to the castle, and as expected, the guards were no longer there, and the door locked shut.

A string of curses echoed in her head as she frantically circled the castle, wracking her brain, if there was some entrance that was still open, when she suddenly stopped. Right, the gardens! How did she not think of this sooner? Without wasting any second, she dashed over to the far side of the wall, where a lone half-hidden gate stood, just in time to see the last gardener locking it to leave.

"Stop!" She cried on impulse, causing the elder man to flinch and drop the keys. "Goodness, Asha, do you wish to make my heart stop?" He rasped as he retrieved them and held a hand over his chest.

"I'm sorry, Yates," She gasped out of breath, "I forgot something in the study, could you let me back in please!"

He frowned. "You know the rules, lass, I can't just let you wander about as you please."

"Oh, just this once! I promise I won't take long, just a quick in and out, alright?" Putting on her best pleading expression, it did not take long to make his stern composure waver, and he sighed.

"Fine. Just this once. Consider it as a favour repaid for helping us out, but you must promise me to return them tomorrow and lock the gate once you leave. I do not want to get into any trouble if you're caught." He said reluctantly and handed over the keys.

Asha's grin could've rivalled the sun. Heavens, she was saved! "Thank you so much! I promise I'll be careful!" She exclaimed brightly and took the keys with grace.

"Yeah, yeah, now go and get your things."

No sooner than he said those words, Asha was gone.

Swift as the wind, she unlocked the gate and rushed through the gardens draped in shadow, the empty echoing halls and countless stairs, up the winding tower with its glittering windows and whispering gems until she reached the door at last. Although her lungs begged for reprieve, she knew her time was borrowed and opened the door as quietly as she could. Now, utterly empty, the study was dark, with only the faint moonlight granting sight and a thin line of green light splitting the room in half.

Ignoring her pounding heart, Asha darted towards her desk and almost gasped from happiness that the book was still there, untouched on the table. With a breathless chuckle, she moved to leave whilst stuffing the book into her bag, yet her feet slowed to a stop about halfway.

Just shy of touching the green line, her eyes followed the ever-ebbing glow and found a thin slit between the black glass wall. Since when had that been there? Their majesties never left it unlocked when she left.

Helpless against the pull of curiosity, she threw one last glance at the door before letting out a soft huff. "A few more minutes won't hurt me." She mumbled and turned away from the path home. Gently pushing the smooth glass to the side, she was greeted by the royal laboratory, whose clean and tidy appearance was replaced by an uncharacteristic mess.

Ascending the short flight of stairs, her steps were followed by the crunch of paper and shattered glass – the sound much too loud in such oppressive silence. The floor and tables were littered with books, torn pages, drawings, notes and more; detailed descriptions of potions and their effects, written down in elegant script, were scattered among illegible notes clearly made in a hurry, some splashed with liquid while others were perfectly clean.

This was the complete opposite of its daylight appearance and surely revealed the true depth of their work. Asha's awe was palpable as she walked around and took in what true magic looked like. Yet, the feeling did not last.

The closer she looked at everything, the stronger the unease became.

The books were old, with ripped covers and burned edges, that told of curses and ancient spells. The withering magic hummed within them and audibly hissed when she came too close.

Asha's gut feeling worsened by the second when she took note of the multitude of ingredients that surrounded the only active work station, on which a bright green potion slowly bubbled on a low blue flame. She recognised some of them, from when their majesties had brought them in for the past several weeks. Twisted root, human ashes, raven feathers, ghost fae, beastly blood, and so much more, that oozed with disdain and made her skin crawl.

The function of the potion was abundantly clear. It served to bind and claim, to leash and trap within and leech upon the strength of others.

Goosebumps ghosted across her arms right down her spine. Never before had she seen something more revolting. 

In between those countless haunting objects were maps of the night sky and ancient scrolls about golden stars, the largest of which lay spread out in the middle and was encircled in red ink – a scribble of many that were repeated in different places and betrayed the owner's frustrations all too well.

Asha shuddered again.

She had seen too much.

Before she could leave, however, her heart leapt to her throat as footsteps neared the room and forced her to dive under the nearest desk with prayers on her lips. Not a moment later, the door swung open, and the king and queen stepped inside.

"Is it finally time? Do we have all the ingredients?" Amaya asked as she approached the laboratory and forced the mess on the floor to part for her with a gust of wind.

"My dearest, I have them right here, the finest wishes for our endeavour, hand-picked, might I add," Aashadhar replied with a honeyed voice that bordered on a purr.

"So few?" The queen wondered, as he set something onto the table that rattled like glass. "Hm, this might get difficult, good quality wishes are getting scarcer by the day... We might need more power soon."

"Ah, the idea with the second apprentice? Yes, that could work. Our progress with the current one is too slow, and I'm sure they'll be delighted for us to grant them higher meaning."

"Then I'll leave the picking to you, my dearest," Amaya replied with the same purr in her voice and let her hand glide across her husband's jaw.

"With pleasure~" Aashadhar rumbled in return and picked up a nearby knife to continue their work. Slowly, the sounds of their conversation faded in favour of preparing the rest of the ingredients; still, Asha feared to leave. After a while, a light pop was heard, and Aashadhar set down the potion on a small, cleared-out space. The former green colour had turned into a fierce turquoise that kept hissing with every pop.

"There, the temperature should be right now. About half as hot as last time and with more ash to stabilise." He spoke, noting down the measurements.

"Good, then let's try this again. Sooner or later, it has to come down."

Grasping her chance, Asha crawled out from under the desk and hushed to the door, yet could not help but risk a glance back.

A gasp froze in her throat.

Sickly turquoise light, as revolting as the feeling in her gut, spilt across the room and let their shadows dance across the wall as they moved to add the last few things to the little bottle.

In a trance, she watched as they plucked out those blue orbs from the basket and held them above the potion. A loud crack, and the blue barrier shattered, the force crushing whatever was inside as well. What once was a wish of a person, pure-hearted and true, was reduced to dust in an instant and trickled, like sparkling sand, into the liquid.

Another crack resounded in the air, the smell of lightning filling the room as it hit the surface. With each pop, Asha backed closer and closer to the door, but could not foresee the open book lying beneath her, when her foot slipped and made her crash into the ground.

At once, in this brief second, Aashadhars concentration slipped, and the potion bubbled over, spilling in hissing clumps across the coated wood whilst sparks shot from its surface.

Amaya's eyes zeroed in on her, wild and glowing beneath the light.

"You!"

That single word was hissed with more venom than any insult that followed her in her youth.

Her time was up.

Not sparing a single second, Asha scrambled up and rushed through the door, her dress and cloak billowing behind her.

"That little rat!" The queen growled, bright green magic sparkling around her hands as fury threatened to engulf her. "Keep the potion stable, my love, I'll get her."

Asha ran for her life.

Her heart pounded in her ears, almost loud enough to drown out the shouts of the guards behind her.

Winding through the cobblestone roads and alleys tight enough to block the horses, she continued to push forward, relying solely on her adrenaline to aid her escape.

Desperately, with every breath she took, Asha tried to grasp at her magic, to have it answer her the same way it had in her youth and have it make her faster if only for a little bit. And yet each attempt ended with failure. It slipped through her hands like soap, refused to obey for even a fraction and slowly settled down again in the steady thrum beneath her heart. So Asha ran and ran, letting the pain in her lungs and legs keep her awake.

Consumed by single-minded focus, she barely noticed how the white roads were replaced by grass and dirt until she reached a small valley at the mouth of the forest, which loomed before her like a giant black wall. A lone bridge, flanked by rusted, discarded shackles and old human skulls upon spikes, marked the path of no return. Even so, there was no other way to safety.

As soon as she passed the treeline, the forest grew silent. Neither the guards outside nor any life within could be heard as she continued to run, her blood rushing through her ears like a waterfall. No mind was paid to the sticks and thorns that tore at her clothes or the vague surroundings, with only the moonlight and ever-startling flashing and cracking of her badge giving her guidance.

However, blinded as she was by tears and shadow, her feet carried her no longer, as her foot caught on a root and sent her sprawling across the forest floor into the mossy grass, where she was at last consumed by darkness.

Warm sunlight and glittering dust.

The crunching dirt beneath her feet and the steady weight of her mother's hand as they walked back home from the market.

Oh, what would best describe the feeling of happiness than this? 

Asha's cheeks hurt from her smile as she skipped along the path and admired the colourful fields on each side, where butterflies and ladybugs did their looping rounds.

Today was amazing! Her mother finally found the time to take her to the market in the city, where they brought lots and lots of ingredients for Papa's birthday cake!  After all, there were no birthdays without one! And then Asha even got to pick the flowers for him, a small bouquet of Forget-me-nots, which were his favourite flowers. Now, they could bake the cake and surprise him once he got home! Oh, Asha couldn't wait to see his face once she showed him her gift! 

These thoughts swirled around the child's mind, who couldn't stop smiling as brightly as the sun, as she imagined all the wonderful scenarios that would surely come to pass. Under the amused watch of her mother's eyes, which were softened by memory, they came ever closer to their hometown and allowed the sounds of a crowd to reach their ears.

Nothing too unusual but... Sakina slowed and frowned a little, halting her daughter's skipping for a bit.

Something was off; her gut told her so, but Asha, the oblivious youth, only gasped and shouted, "Oh! Is Papa back already? They must be making a feast for him!" 

"Asha! Wait!" Sakina called after her as she ran off towards their home and picked up her pace.

The closer she came, the more obvious it got that this was not a joyous gathering. Two guards in gleaming armour emerged from the crowd, dragging with them a frazzled Sabino, whose bloodshot, desperate eyes and unkempt hair resembled that of a madman; while another stood farther away and conversed with Theora, who pointedly watched Sabino leave with disgust and triumph in her eyes.

"My son! Let me go to my son! Please! Let me go!" He shouted over and over as if those were the only words he knew; deaf to the sneers, insults and looks thrown at him. Her heart stuttered in her chest. What happened to Daeril? Almost desperate, she pushed on through the crowd, calling out to her child as she did so, yet whatever she was about to say froze in her throat when she reached the middle.

There on the crossroad and still as a statue, lay her husband, amidst the lingering shimmers of spells that warped around him and sank into the earth, causing grass to grow once more upon the trampled road. The crowd's jeers, full of hatred and anger, spat poisonous words about. "A mage." "Filth in human form." "Traitors to the crown!" "How dare they use magic in our blessed land!"

And in the midst of it all, just a few steps to the right stood her daughter, blank-faced as she stared at her father's corpse, the bouquet she once carried now too on the ground.

Sakina, who threatened to choke on her shock, lunged forward and dragged Asha into her arms. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," She mumbled over and over in between hiccuping gasps as she forced herself to move. With each step she took away from the scene, their cries seemed to grow louder. Echoing in her ears like ringing bells. She did not remember how she got home, not what really followed. Only that it got worse.

Asha tore apart her gift that very day and began to fall into episodes of distress, where she'd cry and scream as if possessed. And if she was not screaming, then she stayed silent and huddled in a corner, clutching those horrid books.

A sudden boiling fury rose within her when she remembered Sabino and his magic spells. How could he teach her child such things? Encourage her to learn with backwards methods and whatever other nonsense was contained within those pages? To the point where she even read them in public, where anyone could see.

And what had this brought them? His corrupt ways? Every day, people came by and banged at their door, screaming profanities and accusations, as was so common for people who housed mages. And every day, Sakina had to fight them off whilst trying to shield her child, who they claimed knew magic.

A nightmare this was. One that did not end until the day of the public banishment.

Eyes bore down on them from every direction as they approached the mouth of the forest, where the village had been gathered for the event. Yet their murmurs and jeers were nought but background noise at the sight that greeted them. Many a time had they had the misfortune of seeing such a thing be conducted from afar, thus it only struck much harder to see it happen to one's own.

In front of the small bridge, which was flanked by two knights each, knelt Sabino – his clothes torn and hands bound by sparking shackles. He refused to look up, and Sakina wished he wouldn't. There was no need to make the pain worse. Once more, anger surged within her at the mere sight of him. Sudden yet oh so right. Her hands shook, and her mouth tasted ashen, though she kept herself composed and continued clutching her daughter's shoulders, the skin sinking under her grip.

Soon enough, the closest knight stepped forward and brought out a scroll with the royal seal stamped upon it. Unrolling it, he cleared his throat and silenced the gathered people.

"We gather here today. To bear witness to a most heinous crime. In a show of rebellion, the elder Sabino – who now kneels before you – dared to cast a most foul spell upon his very own son, resulting in his death as you have witnessed firsthand. For this act of treason against the crown, he will be banished to the Perdita forest, never to return. Let his transgressions remind you that casting magic without the approval or tutelage of the crown is a threat to all, just as people of his kind are. For the glory of our kingdom."

As his words echoed across the field, the people responded with agreeing nods while Sabino was forced onto his legs and led further and further into the thicket until his silhouette vanished between the trees.

Sakina, transfixed as she was, noticed quite late her daughter's tugging at her clothes until she quietly whispered among the cries and cheers.

"Mama, why is grandpa leaving?"

Sakina's breath hitched. Her dry eyes flicked downwards to her daughter's confused and pained face. Crouching before her, to lessen the chance of being heard, Sakina cupped her face and began to speak sternly.

"Asha, you have to listen to me very carefully, alright? Your grandfather did a very bad thing and put our family in danger. You have to promise me to never use magic again, or you will end up like him."

Asha stared at her with hollow, shaking pupils and slowly lowered her head, unaware of what this binding pact would result in. 

"...I promise."

With a pounding headache and salt-crusted eyes, Asha awoke to an eerie quiet, one unbefitting of a forest untouched by human hands. Whatever she had dreamed of had already faded from her mind, and she sighed into the silence. She felt numb, for lack of a better word. Like a hollow husk, reminiscent of her father's passing. But she could not stay here, not when she could be found by anything.

Careful not to cause too much of a ruckus, she slowly sat up on aching bones and looked around. So little could be seen in the monotonous lighting that filtered through the canopy above that one couldn't even tell if it was day or night.

A stifled sigh left her, and she brushed off the dirt from her skirts. Where could she go now? Her city and home were out of the question, so perhaps one of those villages that were abandoned some time after the Inspections? Before she could mull it over properly, however, a twig snapped to her right — the sharp sound cutting through the quiet.

Asha dared not breathe, as her eyes zeroed in on the bushes.

She waited.

A second.

Maybe even a minute.

Her breathing was so shallow she might as well have held her breath until the loud rustling of leaves resumed and the creature jumped out.

It's bleat and her scream mixed into a horrendous cacophony that stirred the watching crows above, before shortly falling into silence. In this brief pause, where a goat stared at a human, and a human stared at a goat, Asha realised something. It was the same one that had been watching her for so long.

However, she was not the only one who acted, as it suddenly lunged forward and grabbed her fallen bag with all of her belongings.

"Hey! What the hell?! Give that back!" She exclaimed as it dragged her stuff deeper into the woods. Her breath drowned out her surroundings as she ran, while twigs and thorns scraped her skin and clothing. With her focus solely honed on the animal, she noticed neither pain nor the ever-brightening surroundings until she suddenly broke through the treeline and her vision filled with light.

She had entered a clearing, where the morning sun painted everything it touched a pale gold. Instead of a simple field of grass, however, it housed multiple houses that were carved into the trees. In between the various desire paths, goats and sheep were herded along, children played around with floating toys, and adults tended to their duties with nothing more than sparks from their hands. Near the end of the treeline, lanterns hung on ropes and bark, while in the very centre, a large bonfire for cooking was kept.

Asha slowed her pursuit of the goat, awe overwhelming her anger as she took in her surroundings. How could such a place exist in a forest rumoured to be a certain grave? It was almost like a dream, of which she would wake any moment now and be mauled by a bear the next second.

Her thoughts came to a sudden halt.

There, between some houses, she spotted the goat again and the old man who picked up her stolen bag.

When their eyes met, however, her breath hitched.

His hair was as white as snow, his face filled with wrinkles and the same kind brown eyes. As if time had stopped turning, her grandfather still looked exactly the same. The longer she stared, the more her vision blurred and a lump formed in her throat.

"No, no, this can't be... You can't be real. This is not real. You died." She muttered, backing away with each step he took forward.

"Asha? Is that really you?" He asked tenderly, and by the gods, his voice not even his voice had changed.

"No! Stay back! You're not him! What are you? An- an illusion? A mimic? Some trick to keep me here?"

Her shouting grew ever more erratic, as did her breathing. What a sorrowful look in his eyes. She hated it. Why must she be tormented by the one who ruined her life?!

The closer he came, the weaker she became, and amidst the turmoil of feelings that swallowed her up, she felt the warmth of a palm on her cheek.

It was firm, rough and real. Oh, so painfully real. As if a dam had broken, tears burst from her eyes, and she threw herself into his chest. Incoherent cries spilt from her mouth, curses, hateful words that she had kept inside for years. Her fists hit his chest, her snot stained his clothes, and yet he stayed and kept his arms around her as firm as a rock.

Without judgment or anger, he murmured reassurances into her ear. Constant reminders that this was real. He was real. All of this was not a dream. Other people soon took notice of the commotion they caused, but kept their respectful distance. It was not unusual for the banished to be reunited with those they knew.

After a while, Asha's sobbing finally ceased, and she managed to lift her head again, her heart much lighter than it had been in a long time.

Sabino softly sighed as he took in her sorry state and gently grasped her hands.

"Come, some warm milk will help with the headache."

Asha barely knew where they went. Her eyes were wet and blotchy, her cheeks much too hot, and she overall just felt disgusting. Still, she sensed the villagers' eyes on her, how they stared holes into her, prodding at her, picking her inside out. Thus, she was thankful for their disappearance once she entered her grandfather's home and found herself seated at his table with a steaming cup of milk in her hands.

Asha sipped at it in bits, allowing the liquid to flow down her throat and warm her empty stomach. It was a soothing feeling, and soon, all that remained of her outburst was the familiar exhaustion that had become a constant in her life.

While Sabino settled in the seat opposite hers, she took the chance to properly look at the humble home he'd built himself, within this ancient oak. Almost every surface served as a shelf for books or half-bound pages, just like his study used to be, back in the day. It was an organised mess, full of various flowers, bottles and trinkets he had found in the woods, many of which were woven or carved by hand. Her mouth twitched. This trait was contained in their blood, it seemed.

"So," Sabino said with a croak in his voice, which startled her out of her observations. "How... How have you been?"

Asha almost scoffed.  

'How had she been?' Was he serious?

"What do you care? You've been perfectly fine on your own. Just as we have, after the mess you caused." She bit back, perhaps harsher than she should've. 

A long, suffering sigh left his lungs in the wake of her bitter words. 

"So you believed them? The guards and official decree?"

"...no. But everyone else did, and you know how that ends." 

Yes, the fate of those related to mages was rarely pretty. It was through sheer luck that they were not exiled from the village as well. Her mother, with her teaching and weaving skills,  proved too valuable to be sent away, and so most people tried to, at least partially, stay in her good graces.

The same however, could not be said for her child. Truth be told, Asha remembered little from that brief period in her life, but the scorn and suspicion the adults and children had shown her were not easy to erase. That was, after all, why she spent all this time trying to prove to them that she was different, only land here in the end. 

"Why didn't you come back?"

Asha asked eventually in a broken, tiny voice. "Why didn't you tell us that you were still alive? Or at least send a message from time to time?"

"My banishment was absolute. You know this, Asha. I couldn't leave even if I wanted to." 

"Still, you could've at least said something. Anything. So I wouldn't have to mourn a false corpse. I bet you didn't even try, just like with father."

"Don't say such things to me, child!" Sabino replied sharply. "There was neither a way nor a choice. If you still don't believe me, you can ask the others later, but until then, hold your tongue."

What followed was silence.

Neither peaceful nor particularly awkward. Just there. As untouchable and unfeeling as reality tended to be.

He was right. She did not believe him.

After a while, Sabino rose from his seat and cracked his aching bones. "Alright, that's enough brooding." He said, whilst pushing her chair away from the table. "Come, I'll show you around. Wallowing in misery won't help either of us."

Despite not wanting to, Asha was dragged back to the outside and forced through a tour. Argh, all this was just too much. Her feet hurt, her head hurt, and her heart hurt. What more torture could she need? However, despite her inner complaints, it helped. Slowly but surely, she felt herself relax as she became distracted by everything the village had to offer. 

There was something surreal to the ease with which they used magic, as if it were a natural extension of themselves rather than a secret to be kept. And Asha, irrational as it was, felt a twinge of envy. Thus, she did the most sensible thing and ignored it, choosing instead to wander, watch and listen until twilight, when everyone gathered around the bonfire for the evening meal.

Hesitantly, she approached the crowd and sat down on a large log next to her grandfather, from which she cast her gaze into the flames. Asha was certain that, this soon, no one would be willing to speak to her. The badge on her chest — even if snapped in half and the emerald all but shattered — was unmistakable after all.

"Hey Asha, here, have some stew." 

She blinked. Her view of the fire was now covered by a simple wooden bowl that indeed had stew in it; most definitely made from deer meat and the vegetables they had managed to grow.

"Ah- thank you."

She replied awkwardly and took the offered food. At least it smelled delicious, she thought, causing her stomach to growl in tandem. A few quiet chuckles followed the sound, but Asha paid them little mind as she dug into the first proper meal she had for some time. In between the friendly conversations and passed-around meals, Asha slowly relaxed again. The tension in her jaw and shoulders melted away, whilst her breath became steadier until she finally felt like a proper person. 

"So, Asha!" Some villager suddenly asked, right before she could take her last bite. "What were you banished for?"

"Yeah! What was your crime? Newcomers always tell their stories when they arrive."

"Yes, yes! Tell us yours!"

More and more of the exiled chimed in, their eager eyes boring into her with such curiosity that she had no choice but to relent. It wouldn't take long anyway for them to find out the truth.

"I... I had become an apprentice. At the castle." She revealed tentatively, drawing gasps from all around her, that hadn't noticed the badge yet. 

"What? An apprentice?"

"We have never had one of those, right?"

"What in the world did you do to fall out of their grace?"

"How did you even get here then?"

A flood of questions rolled over her, and Asha felt her blood begin to boil; her exhaustion serving as fuel for her rage. 

"I saw something. Something I should've never discovered. There, in their laboratory, they used dark magic to create a potion that could trap and force anyone to obey their will. I-I don't know who it was meant for, but there were star maps all around, with golden stars on them as if they searched for it, and they- they crushed them. Wishes. They took the wishes of the people and just crushed them into the-"

She could not bring herself to continue as her throat closed up. Nevertheless, her revelation did its thing and brought a shocked silence to the clearing, one that even crickets knew to avoid. 

Still, Asha forced herself to continue. 

"They spotted me as I was about to leave, so I fled here, and your little goat showed me the way." That last part was directed at Sabino, who, despite the gloomy atmosphere, managed to form a smile.

Then, the quiet was no more. 

Outrage broke out as the people cried in fury.

"What? They did what?"

"Are you certain?"

"How could they do this?!"

"They crushed our wishes?"

"Dark magic? They used dark magic?"

"What a disgrace!"

Empowered by their rage, Asha rose to her feet. "Yes! And that's why we have to do something to stop them! All of us deserve better! We, just as much as the rest of our kingdom. But first, we need to get out of this place!"

Instead of the fiery agreement she expected, the other exiles grew quiet and avoided her gaze. Even Sabino looked somewhat queasy, as if he didn't know what to say. 

"Asha... I know you want the best for us, but... There is nothing we can do."

He eventually said with a hand on her shoulder, causing her to frown.

"What do you mean? Everyone here can do magic; they wouldn't have a chance against so many of us."

"No, no. I mean, we can't leave. None of us can. This forest is our prison."

Asha stared at them incredulously, yet none of them would meet her gaze. 

"What? Have any of you even tried to leave? Or find another way out? Surely there must be something!"

The silence persisted, only broken by the scraping of bowls.

"Tch", Asha clicked her tongue, anger engulfing her nationality. "Fine. Then stay cowards if you will. I will find a way to get out and save us, just you wait!"

She declared loudly and promptly stomped away into the night. 

After this, Asha was mostly left to her own devices as she acclimated herself to her new 'home'. She helped out wherever she could, making use of the many skills she had picked up from her previous work and tried to learn a couple of new spells. Though, despite her best efforts, her prowess ended here. 

No matter what she did or tried, her magic stayed ever out of reach and refused to leave the core. Others tried to tell her to be patient, that it would all come naturally eventually, but how could she wait if children could master the simplest of spells faster than her? 

She couldn't take this anymore.

In a rare show of childishness – after the dozenth failed attempt – she threw her book to the ground and stomped away from the little group of children, who happily played with the transforming flowers. 

Why did she always fail at the things she wanted to do? It was shameful! As shameful as the envy that coiled within her guts. She knew this! Knew how to do it, knew that most adults around her never learned past the basic spells, knew that she needed more time and patience, knew that she had been led astray, but what could she do then?

There was no mage who couldn't coax out their magic even a little bit, so what was the point in the first place? How would she ever prove them right if she couldn't even do this? How would she ever find an escape? 

So deep was she trapped within her thoughts that feet had unknowingly carried her right to the cliffside, where the waves lapped against the rocks and seagulls cried overhead. The edge of the cliff loomed high above the actual coast, and harboured somewhere down there a small road for travellers.

However, what drew her eye was not the cliff itself, but what stood at its edge. Twisted around a large rockpile was a huge Magnolia tree, upon whose branches were tied countless colourful ribbons that swayed gently in the salty wind. It was clear which ones were old and which were new, from their state and colour, and if she looked just close enough, there was something written on the inside. 

"How is your practice coming along? Made any progress yet?" Sabino suddenly asked behind her, causing her to let out an embarrassing squeak. 

"What? How- when did you get here?" She replied, though received only a sly smile as an answer. 

"A magician never reveals his secrets," Sabino chuckled and leaned down to pet his goat. "And since you have not answered my question, it seems things are not coming along as you've hoped. Well, do not despair so soon, everyone needs to start somewhere, and you haven't practised for so long that it's normal to be rusty."

Asha sighed. At least things between them had calmed down a bit.

"What is this?" She asked instead and motioned to the tree.

"Ah, that's our wishing tree. A place to lament about our troubles and hang out wishes into the wind. It may perhaps seem childish, but people need hope. It's not like the wishing star or the majesties would ever fulfil them, now even more so than before."

"The wishing star?" Asha echoed, surprised, "You mean that old story?"

"Why, it was your favourite, was it not?" He responded with a smile, "Or do you not believe in it anymore?"

Her look was self-explanatory.

Sabino chuckled yet again, though she failed to see what was so amusing.

"Fine, fine, be that way. I still have some things to take care of, but if you want to stay here a little longer, no one is going to stop you. Feel free to come back any time."

With these words, her grandfather departed alongside his baby goat, leaving her to stare up at the tree and the bright golden star beyond it. Her face darkened ever so slightly, the longer she gazed at it, until she ultimately turned away with a huff.

And yet, her visits did not stop.

Every few days, she found herself back at the tree, sometimes during the day, sometimes at night; and each and every time, after she'd vent her frustration to the silent bark, her eyes would find the star again and cause her resentment to grow.

Hah, was it mocking her with its radiant light? Mocking her weakness and inability to do anything right? To step from cage to cage, without ever being able to do the only thing she wished for?

A bitter snarl tore through her lips.

"Useless star! Why can't I be free to do what I want? Is that too much to wish for?" Carelessly thrown, her words stumbled through the night and were carried off by the breeze to unknown destinations.

Asha sighed, exhausted from her outburst. She was being silly; she knew that very well. How often could one come here and yell at a star without being dubbed a lunatic? Though it did feel good to voice her feelings for once.

A yawn forced her jaw apart, and considering this was the dead of night, Asha finally turned to retreat to her home and get a good dose of sleep with a lighter heart.

The second her back was turned, the sky exploded with light. As if the sun had surfaced in the middle of the night, golden light flooded her entire vision, which came closer and closer, as if the heavens had come to take her themselves.

Any attempt to escape came too late. In a matter of seconds, just when she made out a shape within the light, something heavy slammed into her and instantly knocked her out cold.

Amaya, although quite displeased by her empty-handed return, was not worried. Neither by the people's reactions to her abrupt disappearance, nor by the possibility of her spreading the truth.

People's minds were easily bent, no matter how well they knew the person. Even easier once they were under their control. A few rumours, a few stories and gone was the once 'kind-hearted and helpful young girl'. Now they only knew her for her betrayal of the crown, as she used her knowledge to steal from them and aid other mages. And given her family history, who would doubt for long? 

The possibility of her spreading the knowledge was just as easily buried. Not a single soul could leave that forest, and even if someone did, her wards would tell her. Thus, the only little problem she had to take care of was finding a new apprentice, lest the hunger would get worse and 'wishes' alone did not cut it anymore.

Unfortunately, the last wish ceremony had not shown any new potential candidates, but that was for her husband to worry about. And so it was that her beloved scouted the next best one from their previous selection and brought back Jacob, who almost overeagerly began to work at once.

He was by far the sloppiest and most chaotic of them all, and in almost all aspects a disappointment, except for his power, of course, but there was hardly room for complaints. In the end, his purpose was the same as that of all the others, and that was enough to calm her mind. Thus, in yet another night of research, Amaya diligently processed the human bones and ashes that were carved with symbols by some ancient cult, while Aashadhar took care of the liquid ingredients. They worked harmoniously just like they had for years and brought back fond memories of his youthful inexperience, where she showed him all the magical world had to offer and how to take it properly.

Progress went on smoothly, and with a few more hours their toils would bear fruit. It made Amaya almost giddy, and the hunger within her grew.

This feeling, however, vanished when the sky erupted with light.

This golden light, as bright as a thousand suns, streamed through their windows and threw flecks of green on every surface as it broke within the crystal overhead, while the gems in their walls began to rattle. Yet just as fast as it appeared, the light vanished and left them scrambling for the windows to see what it was.

Their jaws dropped. There in the distance, a fading streak of gold led straight into the Perdita forest of all places, and the spot where the most powerful magical item once resided was empty. 

Ice cold fury befell her the second the streak vanished, causing the bottles around her to shatter to dust. Her husband, ever the emotional one, let out a strangled scream. His fury was as all-encompassing as his shows. Bottles and ingredients were smashed onto the floor. Maps ripped apart. Books set aflame, and all they had worked for was torn apart with his own hands.

"How?! This insolent, good-for-nothing star! How dare you fall! How dare you answer when you've never answered me! Piece of shit! And now you land in the only place no one can follow!" Aashadhar screamed, more and more curses rising from within him as green magic sparked from his hands.

Amaya made no move to stop him. Not when she had her own rage to quell.

"If only that wretched maggot hadn't interrupted our experiment." He hissed at last in between gasps and tore his gaze away from his destruction. His wife slowly approached, exhaling through her nose for a long time and gently trailed a hand down his jaw.

"Don't get so riled up about this, dear." She murmured, with that look in her eyes that never failed to make him swoon. "That forest may be inescapable, but it will yield to its kin. And should someone find it, we will know."

Her wards were infallible after all.

Slowly, carefully, Asha opened her eyes to the night sky above and for a scant few seconds simply stared at it. What on earth just happened?

She had not died, had she?

No, most likely not. The stars had not changed at all, nor did her body feel any lighter. In fact, it felt almost laughably heavy, as if a weight was on top of her.

Her humour, however, faded when she moved to sit up. There, right on top of her, was a glowing, golden boy.

Driven by instinct alone, she screamed and scrambled away from him as far as possible. Where did he come from? What was he doing here? She wondered, bewildered, and slowly moved closer again to study him, while he was still knocked out.

Pale, wispy hair that floated in the wind and faded into stardust at the edges, a smooth, gentle face, pretty eyelashes, star-shaped freckles and the elaborate, golden black clothes of a nobleman, that were made from glittering velvet and speckled by stars, alongside a long, billowing cloak. In short, he was very pretty. And unfairly so.

Asha felt herself reach out, entranced by his beauty, wishing to trace the contours for herself, but a groan from his side quickly erased such fantasies. Watching him wake with quickly heating cheeks, Asha did her best to appear unbothered when he at last sat up and looked at her with those bright golden eyes. 

A few moments of silence passed between them as they simply looked at one another, before he slowly lifted his hand and greeted her in a melodic voice. To her embarrassment, Asha startled again, but forced herself to stay seated as she folded her hands in her lap.

"Who are you?"

The boy tilted his head.

"Hmm, you may call me Lucien."

God damnit even his name was pretty.

No Asha! Focus!

"Okay, Lucien, then where did you come from?"

A light huff escaped him as he replied.

"Well, I am a star. A wishing star, as you call it, came right from the sky itself."

A beat of silence passed between them, yet he did not laugh. "You?" Asha repeated slowly, disbelief coating her voice. "A star? You're seriously expecting me to believe that?"

Lucien shrugged. Lifting himself off the floor – by floating, of all things – he gently landed on his feet and pointed at the sky. And lo and behold, the spot where the star once was was empty just like the story once said.

Maybe she fell asleep.

Or was she dreaming again, and her emotions manifested within them?

Yeah. That sounded much more plausible than whatever this was.

Slowly, she reached up to pinch her arm. Nothing happened. She tried again. Wow, this must be a very strong dream. Yet, no matter how much she tried, her efforts bore no fruit.

A bubble of laughter spilt from her lips, a mix of disbelief and pain that made her sound like a lunatic, until ultimately, she was forced to admit defeat. Letting her arm fall limp to her side, Lucien took this chance to float to her side and gently reached out to the wounded spot.

"Hey, why did you do that? Doesn't it hurt humans?" He asked softly and observed the reddened skin. His fingers, both hot and cold at once, and soft as she imagined, slid over the area and left behind a golden trail that took the pain with it.

"There. All good. It shouldn't hurt anymore." He said and simply watched how she fell from his grasp and onto the grass like a rag doll. All of the air left her lungs, and her sigh morphed into a suffering groan. Why was she questioning anything at this point? So what if she was face-to-face with a wishing star? So what if the rulers of her home were evil? There was no point in being surprised anymore. Things would just continue to happen to her regardless.

Taking a few more seconds to come to terms with this fact, she got onto her feet again and brushed the dirt off her dress. "Come, I know a better place to talk." She said and motioned for him to follow.

Although the walk was pretty short, Asha couldn't help but notice things about him that she could only describe as odd. Trees and flowers chased after his passing light, stretching out as far as they could reach. Fireflies followed his featherlight steps, and the few critters that were still awake at night ran around his feet in awestruck wonder just like the animals did with princesses in her old books. It was as bizarre as it was strangely adorable, and Asha couldn't truly grasp what she felt.

However, she did not need to, as they reached the clearing at last. Small, round, covered in moss and flowers, with ample space between the tree roots to comfortably sit down.

She had discovered this place by accident, after yet another failure that made her frustration boil over. And so, she had promptly claimed it for herself. At least here, her shortcomings wouldn't follow.

"So you're really a Wishing star?" Asha began as she sat on the mossy ground and watched as he followed suit with a nod.

"Yes. The last one there is."

"Then why are you here? You have never answered any wish before, no matter how much one begged for it, so what was it that made you reconsider after all this time?"

The words she said were bitter. Oh, so very bitter. Perhaps it was unfair to him, but her need for answers was stronger than her guilt.

Lucien sighed.

"First, you have to understand something." He spoke softly as the glow around him flickered.

"I cannot grant every wish there is.

I am no Jinn. If the wish does not correspond or is disliked by the star, it won't be granted, and all of the stars for healing are gone. So, if you seek a proper answer, perhaps it would be best to ask someone who knew your father in life and thus what actually caused his passing."

Asha stayed silent. She had never mentioned Daeril, though if Lucien still remembered her hopeful wishing, it would not be much of a surprise.

The answer was not satisfying.

None of what he said brought peace to her mind. Though would it ever?

Time and time again, she had wondered why it stayed silent. Why her wish was never heard. Why her father was not getting better. Eventually, she discarded it as childish fantasies and focused on bettering her family's reputation again.

And now that she knew that he was real and couldn't help her by nature alone, she felt numb; the usual pain in her chest was absent. Perhaps she had long since accepted his death. But at least she got some closure and that it was not her fault. And as it was, only her grandfather could tell her how it all went down, and their talk was long since overdue.

"Then what pulled you down?"

Asha asked at last and raised her gaze to meet his.

"You did."

Those two words were said with such joy that Asha wondered if she had not misheard.

"What? Me?"

"Yes. You wish to be free, as much as I do, and I heard your call loud and clear."

His genuine smile made it hard for her not to believe him, and something within her softened at his words.

"...Then... can you perhaps help me?"

She asked quietly after a brief pause, and explained as well as she could the events that led to her arrival. 

With every word, his expression soured and so dimmed his light, until at the end of her tale only a faint glow remained. He stayed like that for a while, brushing his fingers through his hair, gnawing at his lip in thought, until he eventually came to a conclusion.

"I understand. I am sorry that you had to go through this, but I promise I will help you as best as I can with all the power I can offer. I am sure, together we can make it out of here." Asha felt her shoulders drop. A relieved smile replaced the tense expression that had settled in her wait.

"Then do you have an idea how to do that? I haven't exactly made any progress yet."

Lucien hummed. 

"Maybe I can convince the forest to let us pass, but given how old it is, I might need time to win it over, so I can't promise anything just yet."

"Well, that's better than nothing. Now come, I know where you can stay in the meantime."

As it turned out, Lucien knew quite a bit about humanity and their lives here on the surface. He knew of distant wars and empires, of history and magical beings, but when it came to something as simple as walking, his vast well of knowledge fell short.

"My legs feel weird when I'm on the ground." "Why do I have to tone down my glow?" "Are all humans as beautiful as you?" "What do you mean humans don't shapeshift?" 

And so forth.

Even so, despite the occasional odd glance his way, Asha found it quite amusing to watch him try to fit in. It was, after all, already a miracle that he had been accepted in the first place.

After the first few days of wary glances — considering that he looked like some washed-up blue blood and not an exiled mage — the people reluctantly grew to like him and his friendly, but odd personality. And as a result, stories began to surface. Some murmured that he was cursed, that he lost his memory or that he was a sheltered prince who ran away from home. Of course, these assumptions about his mysterious origin grew ever more absurd, but Lucien himself did not do anything to stop them, as he neither agreed nor disagreed with any of their claims.

In the meantime, as he grew ever more accustomed to playing human, Lucien used his time to amuse the children, taught others magic spells, helped with the chores and corrected the books and scriptures that they had managed to make from memory. He quite liked being able to help upfront, no matter what was asked of him, but what brought him the most fame was his sheer talent with magic.

It came easily to him. As easy as breathing. With no effort at all, the golden glow followed his every command, able to perform any spell, no matter how difficult, which quickly earned him the moniker of "magical prodigy".

And so, one afternoon, this "magical prodigy" found Asha in her little clearing again, while she fruitlessly practised a new spell. She noticed his light long before his silhouette appeared — floating as always in her presence — and he settled silently beside her with a gentle gust of wind.

Usually, she'd find such people distracting. Especially those who read over her shoulder. But for some reason, this was not the case with him.

In fact, his ever-warm presence brought her comfort. So much so that she almost leaned onto him, had her pride allowed it. 

In any case, the spell was not working. At all. Even though she followed the instructions to the letter. It was supposed to be a simple unravel spell, mostly used to get out of traps or untie a knot. But here she sat, yet again, toiling for nothing while the kids got it in one go.

A loud groan tore from her throat. Could she become any more useless? She knew how to gut fish and fix nets, but they lived in a forest. She knew how to make jewellery and other sellable trinkets, but those were useless around here. She knew how to read and write, but was not patient enough to teach others, especially not without her mother around. And now, the only other talent she could offer was the one thing she couldn't use.

Trapped within her misery, Asha repeatedly slammed her head against the book. With each thump, pain bloomed in her skull and brought a brief relief from her worries, but before she could resume her complaining, the book was pried away from her hands.

Gently, Lucien placed it onto the ground and folded his hands in front of him as he asked with not a single drop of judgment, "What is troubling you so?"

Asha huffed. 'Her life'.

It would've been funny to say that. The urge to do so was strong. But she did not know if he understood irony just yet. 

"Ugh, it's just— it's not working. Nothing is. No matter what I do."

"What? What's not working? The spell?"

"Yes." Asha replied, bringing light to his confusion. "I've tried so many times. So many different spells, but those that actually worked fit on one hand alone." She lamented. "I'm seventeen now, god damnit, I should know these things!"

"Well, it's never too late to learn things anew." He consoled, and Asha was quite annoyed by the fact that she did feel a little bit better. "How about you tell me how you do your spell? Perhaps I can help."

"Tch. What's there to say? I just do what the book says. Reach inside, coax the magic out and guide it to your hand."

"What?" A baffled gasp left him. Laden with enough disbelief that it bordered on a laugh. "What sort of instructions are those? What about what drives you?"

Now it was Asha's turn to be confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Did no one ever tell you?" He exclaimed and scooted over so that he sat in front of her with his ever-brightening glow. "Magic comes from passion. It is the force that ignites your love, your dreams, your will to create, which in turn is essential to use magic. If you don't practice magic with love, why should it listen?" He explained, his hands flapping from excitement as if he had been waiting to tell someone else.

"But... how am I supposed to feel joy when all I'm met with is failure?" She replied, at a loss for what to do. "Besides, it has been so long since I've used my magic normally, I don't even know if I can."

For a brief moment, he stayed silent, the light flickering in tandem with his thoughts. "Then perhaps, all that will help you is time, to reignite your passion for the things you love."

Asha sighed. He said that so easily. But how long could she wait for that to happen? She couldn't just stay here and practice without results, until all of her home was brought to ruin by the crown.

"Aren't there like any other ways to become stronger and better with magic? Or at least getting it to work?"

"Oh, many." Came the reply in such a flippant manner that she almost thought he bluffed. "The most common path is what you're doing right now. Learning, reading and practising spells. While the second one is commonly known as the forbidden path, or 'dark magic' if you so will. It makes you powerful much quicker and easier than normal. But to do so, you consume the magic of others instead. Nowadays, there are few who have lived long enough to still practice it — like that sun-flower witch — though I do remember an instance where an entire clan survived that was led by Abiram."

Sometimes she forgot just how knowledgeable he was...

"Really? What clan?" Asha asked, eyes alight with curiosity, yet before he could answer, somewhere in the distance, his name was called, and he sighed.

"Sorry, we'll have to talk later." He said and floated onto his feet. She watched him leave with palpable disappointment. Finally, something interesting, and she didn't even get to hear the end. Well, with her progress with magic now halted and all of her other talents proven to be of no use, it seemed that there was only one thing left for her to do before they could start their escape.

With the glow of the setting sun behind her, Asha stepped into her grandfather's house and steeled herself for what was about to come. The warm colours and soft bubbling water felt more like an omen than a comfort the closer she got to the kitchen. Sabino was there, as expected and calmly brewed some tea upon the open flame.

Asha was nervous...or scared or stressed. Perhaps she was none of that. Who knew at this point?

No matter if she could put a name to it or not, her chest remained tight and cold sweat continued to gather the longer she stood in the shadows and watched him grind the leaves.

At last, Asha clenched her fist. She'd stay here 'til midnight if she couldn't get herself to move. Forcing one foot in front of the other, she slowly approached him and stopped at the sunbathed table.

"Grandfather... Can you tell me what happened that day? When father...died?"

Sabino froze. 

"Ah, what brought this up, Asha?" He asked, a slight tremble marring his voice.

"It's just... Don't you think it's been long enough for me to learn the truth?"

For a few heartbeats, he stayed quiet before a long, suffering sigh was heard, accompanied by dropping shoulders.

"I guess it is. Come, sit, have some tea."

Asha followed suit. Now seated, her nervousness morphed into fear. Was this really the right choice? Was she really ready to learn the truth? But before her thoughts could truly spiral, Sabino began to speak. 

"Your father's health had never been the greatest. He got sick so easily, you know, every winter we'd worry our heads off. But you see, that was not always the case. Before you were born, hell, before we even moved here, he had been the healthiest amongst us all. Strong as ten men combined, he could fulfil the workload of an entire group on his own. Oh yes, what good times they were. 

"But this took a turn after your parents gave their wishes to the king. His health suddenly worsened. At first, it was a simple cough, then weakness in the limbs, until he could barely go through the day without collapsing. And what made it all worse was his refusal to be healed. I tried time and time again to reason with him. To remind him what was at stake, but he never listened. Not once. Until the day he left us, and by the time I arrived, it was already too late." 

Asha sighed as he fell silent. 

So that was it. The truth. Of course, it had something to do with Aashadhar and the wishes. Her hands clenched around her cup. Perfect. All the more reason to go and free them all. 

"Thank you. For telling me."

She said. "Now I can leave in peace."

Sabino's eyes shot up. 

"Leave? What do you mean?"

"Lucien and I have found a way. He spoke to the forest and managed to get an agreement to let us through." 

"This... What? But when you leave, what will you do? Someone is bound to recognise you and exile you again, or do you seriously still wish to go to the palace?" His frown worsened when he got no reply. "No, Asha, you can't be serious. This is madness! At least here you'd be safe! There is no way you could go against their majesties like this! Not even with Lucien helping you! You'd just get both of you killed! Child, please, listen to reason."

"But if I don't do this now, who will? How many more have to be exiled or die, while we twiddle our thumbs in the woods? No one else knows what I know. No one else can do something about it, and the least I could do is try! So stop trying to keep me here. There is more at stake than just my life."

Sabino huffed. 

Stubborn child. Just like her father, she put others above herself in the end. But her eyes... Yes, they were determined. No matter what he'd say now, she would not change her mind. 

"So this is goodbye then?"

He asked, defeated, to which Asha nodded with a small smile.

"Yes. It was good to see you again, Grandfather." 

"And we will see each other again." 

He replied as he pulled her into one last hug. And thus, when night took hold, Asha quietly got ready and stepped out into the cooling air that held the scent of approaching autumn.

Draped in shadows and the faint light of the stars, the village stood silent within the rustling trees and brought a sense of sadness to her. Even though she had spent only a few weeks here, she would miss this place and all who lived here. After all, they had taught her what freedom looked like, even if it was within yet another cage.

Before any tears could form, Asha tore her gaze away and began walking towards the dark treeline that towered before her like a black wall. Her purple dress, embroidered with Iris, brushed against the grass, which shone softly in Lucien's presence. The humanoid star waited for her right at the entrance, his light illuminating all that was around him in a soft, golden hue. As soon as he noticed her, a bright smile appeared on his lips, and he let go of the owl whose chin he had scratched. A burst of affection echoed in her chest in kind, as she approached with a similar smile, one that pulled at her lips all on its own. 

"And? Ready to go?" He asked, both eagerness and determination coating his voice.

"Yes. Are you sure the forest will listen?"

"Why wouldn't it? This is, after all, a place where a star had fallen once before. And this old grump couldn't say no to his kin in the end." Lucien replied teasingly and patted a nearby tree, which shook its leaves at him, as if offended.

"Well, then we don't have any time to lose." Asha quickly ran over the plan in her mind. "We need to stop by my home first and see if we can find any sort of spellbook that could help us in the castle. I also need to see if my mother is alright. The rest will come later." She decided and thus, without further ado, they stepped past the forest line, and all sounds around them vanished. 

The dark descended and grew thicker with every step, letting only a sliver of the night sky through the gaps between the leaves. Against her will, Asha shivered and drew her cloak tighter around herself. There was nothing to fear. There was nothing to fear. There was nothing to fear. She repeated in her head and subconsciously drew closer to Lucien, who smiled warmly at her show of trust. Enough was enough. Beside her, Lucien's glow dimmed and bit by bit, revealed the beauty that hid from their sight. A ghostly trail of beautiful flowers traced the path ahead. Like lanterns, they came in all sorts of colours and drew in swaying fireflies that hovered overhead. And suddenly, it wasn't all that scary anymore. 

Soon enough, Asha relaxed as their surroundings lightened, revealing the edge of the forest ahead. It brought with it a sense of relief that made her breath much lighter as she, at last, could taste freedom again. 

Stepping through the tree line, a faint green light pulsed beneath their feet as they came to stand on a dirt path that led to the sea. 

The moon in the sky above was but a thin crescent, though the night was clear enough for them to see. Thus, under the guidance of the dim starlight, they continued downwards until the silhouettes of houses finally emerged. 

"Alright, we have to be quiet now and tone down your glow," Asha whispered, once they stepped onto familiar soil and led them post haste to her house that stood, dark and quiet, on the hill near the forest. As soon as the door was in reach, Asha began to knock. Once, twice, as many times as she needed, if only to hear a sign of life from within. Who knew what happened to her after Asha's escape? 

Thankfully, her efforts were not in vain. After a good few tries, the door opened and revealed her tired, dishevelled mother, who gasped at the sight of her. 

"Oh my god, Asha! Where have you been?! I was so worried about you. They kept saying that you were dead, but I didn't believe them, especially not that old hag." She exclaimed – only half as loud as she probably wanted – and pulled her daughter into a crushing hug. 

"Mother, you're safe! I'm so glad you're safe!" Asha whispered back, tears threatening to form, "But we can't stay for long. I don't want to endanger you any further."

Sakina pulled back abruptly. 

"Us? Who is us?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and only now took notice of the blonde beside her, who awkwardly watched the exchange unfold. 

"Ah, hello, nice to meet you, Asha's mom," Lucien said, ever the friendly fella, though his smile was not reciprocated. Not even a bit. 

"Who are you and why are you with my daughter!" Sakina spat, drawing a shocked gasp from her daughter. 

"Mom! He's just helping me!"

"No no no. Let me speak to him. No wayward boy gets to my daughter without going through me first! What are your intentions with my Asha, boy? Tell me!"

"Nothing, nothing ma'am!" Lucien scrambled to reply, "I would never do her harm, I'm just here to help, that's all."

He seemed genuine, but all men did if they wanted to. Thus, clearly unsatisfied with this answer, Sakina opened her mouth to start again. The hand on her arm made her pause. Looking to the side, her daughter's gaze begged her to let it be. For a few moments, the mother hesitated, caught between her urge to protect and trust for her daughter, before she eventually sighed and stepped aside to let them in. 

"Fine. But I'll keep an eye on you, so no funny business. Now, since none of us can sleep anymore, would you like some tea?" She asked as she closed the door behind them and lit a candle that she placed on the kitchen table. 

"Thank you, but we need the key to Grandpa's study," Asha replied, finally allowing herself to relax a little within her own four walls. 

Sakina's smile froze. 

"Asha... We do not mention that man in this house. How many times do I have to tell you?" 

Her cold voice caused Asha to gulp. Yet, this was not the time to yield to her instincts. "Mother, please! It's important!" Asha pressed on, pushing away her ingrained fear, which caused Sakina to click her tongue.

"What do you want to find then? You know the Inspection took most of what we had; there is no chance that any of those dastardly books have survived."

"That doesn't matter! I just- I need to check something, that's all. I won't bother you about it after either. Please, mother." 

Sakina paused. "Fine. The key is on the shelf. Third one left, upper side."

"Thank you!" Asha exclaimed happily and rushed upstairs, dragging Lucien with her, much to Sakina's displeasure. Repeating her mother's words like a mantra, Asha found the key almost instantly and promptly approached the locked room closest to hers. 

The creaky old door, with its rusty hinges, barely managed to drag itself across the floor as it revealed what lay behind it. The room was barren and covered in a layer of dust. True to her mother's words, there was little to be found. Deserted shelves, an old desk and chair, her mother's old loom that she somehow dragged here and some scattered pages that had been trampled on, until none of the writing was recognisable. 

Not one to give up easily, Asha searched through one half, while Lucien took on the other. Yet, their efforts bore no fruit. At least, until Asha suddenly tripped over a loose board. Wide-eyed, she paused, glancing down at the slightly raised floor with a small hole in it. Slowly, she bent down, trailing her fingers over the aged, uneven wood and carefully lifted it and lo and behold, there, nestled perfectly between the other floorboards, was a small box that contained a couple of old, self-bound books.

This was it. The moment of truth. 

Gently, she lifted the box and cradled it close to her chest, despite the dust that clung to it. "Come, let's read them in my room."

Once there, she placed the books onto the floor and settled down in front of them to read what they contained. 

Meanwhile, Lucien took a look around her room, which had been kept perfectly clean as if in wait for her return. He eyed every little thing with interest, even her old collections of fairytales, which she kept in some old box in a corner, as a last attempt to save them, before the guards burnt the majority of the literature they owned.

As carefree as he was, Lucien pulled out a random book and flipped it open, causing the pages to flutter audibly. 

"Hey! Be careful with that. It was my favourite story!" Asha exclaimed angrily from her spot, though Lucien just grinned and pointed at the title. 

"The legend wishing star, huh? Should I feel honoured?"

"As if, mister 'magical prodigy'. If you get any more praise, you might become full of yourself and pop like a balloon."

Lucien's laughter was a reward in itself, which brought a little smile to her face. Nevertheless, they busied themselves with reading, one carding through old but overall useless spells, whilst the other consumed a story with gusto, until he reached the final page. 

"Hey, I think I might know this Magnifico," Lucien said all of a sudden and Asha did not believe her ears. 

"...What?" 

"Well, I mean, this story is pretty watered down, and it didn't quite happen like this, but yeah, I knew that little rascal." Lucien continued unperturbed, taking no notice of her shock. "Hah, he always whispered such outlandish wishes. No one was ever going to respond to that."

"Wait, wait, wait, pause." Asha interrupted wide-eyed, "You say you knew him? As in, he existed? In real life?"

"Exists, you mean. Though I believe he took on a new name... Aashadhar."

The very blood in her body froze to ice. 

He couldn't be serious. Magnifico... The boy who lost his home to a star was their king? 

"No, that can't be... I mean... how? Are you sure it is not another Magnifico? How do you know it's really him?"

"Asha, there are very few people I wouldn't remember when they make wishes like that. Especially since he never stopped, even if they morphed into an obsession to catch me."

"Oh... Then, what happened if the story was false?"

"Well..." Lucien hummed as he ran a hand through his wispy hair. "I don't know how long ago, but it all happened in his youth. Back then, his king had taught the people how to use magic. He wished to share this gift with the land so that all were equal and unity could prosper. But then, mage slayers invaded – the clan that I've tried to tell you about – they were like parasites. Hidden in plain sight. Some became his advisors, others gained the trust of the common folk, and so they sowed unrest on both sides. Spreading lies, that the king kept their magic from growing, while the people used his teachings to plan a coup behind his back. And while their lies festered and spread, the mage slayers drained the people's magic from the shadows, further fuelling their wrath until it resulted in a massive civil war, from which only they emerged victorious and had the pleasure of bleeding even the survivors dry."

Asha stayed silent, a shiver ghosting across her skin. So many answers yet so many new questions... What had brought Magnifico then, to use dark magic? Before she could ask, however, or at least continue searching through the spells, Lucien perked up, and his eyes darted to the window. 

"I hear horses. Armour."

He said, causing Asha to blanch. The guards. There were no patrols this late at night. Ever. How had they found them? 

In the blink of an eye, the pair stood and stuffed the books into her bag. There was no time to hide them now. No matter if they found them or the books, both would bring consequences. 

Running downstairs as quietly as possible, Asha rushed to the window in the kitchen where her mother still sat and nursed her cup of tea. 

"Mother, we have to go; the guards are here." She hissed whilst unlocking the window as fast as she could. 

Sakina's face hardened. "Then hurry, I'll hold them off. And you!" She said to Lucien, "Promise me that you'll keep her safe. No matter what happens."

The star nodded grimly with a hand over his heart. 

"I understand, Sakina. I won't let you down."

With these parting words, the pair slipped out into the night and began to run. In an elaborate game of hide and seek, they rushed from house to house, ever so keen to stay out of sight. However, it became apparent that they couldn't keep this up for long when Asha counted: five, ten, fifteen men... Way too many for a simple patrol. There was something more going on, but what? 

"Shit. We won't be fast enough to escale unnoticed." She grumbled and turned to Lucien, who, to her surprise, smiled.  "No, but I have an idea. What is your fastest animal?"

Asha frowned at him. Slightly puzzled at his sudden question. 

"I don't know, a horse? Why?"

Lucien just smirked. Rising from his crouching position, a golden glow enveloped him, rendering him shapeless. Within that light, something morphed and twisted, winding around itself as muscles would over bone, until it settled for a golden stallion, whose pure white mane glowed against the dark. 

"Come on, get on."

He beckoned, and Asha had no choice but to pick up her jaw from the floor and obey. And not a moment too late, as sudden shouts broke through the quiet, coming ever closer to their hiding place. Her hands shook from her nerves, yet Asha willed herself to stay focused and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "I trust you." 

That was all he wanted to hear. He rushed off like a lightning bolt. Bursting forth from behind the wall, he jumped over the guards, much higher than a normal horse ever could and ran through the wooden paths to the fields beyond. 

The shouting guards were but an echo in the distance, the further they pressed on, and Asha couldn't help but laugh at the rush she was feeling. Together they cut straight through the wheat and meadows, galloping ever closer to the city walls. Soon enough, they reached the west side of the wall, where instead of pristine white stone, a giant maze of scaffoldings acted as its replacement and just as Asha thought, the expansion was still underway. 

Dismounting Lucien, she quietly explained as he assumed his human form. "I'm sure the whole city is on alert; if they sent so many guards to my home, so we won't be getting inside the usual way." She gestured at the construction site before her. 

"Are you sure we won't get caught?"

Lucien asked, slightly uneasy at the giant, looming structure, that creaked ominously overhead. 

"No one goes here at night, so no. I'm not too worried. Now come, we're losing time." Choosing to trust her just as she trusted him, they set off once again, winding like mice through the many different pathways, until the view of the castle opened before them. 

Much to their displeasure, however, the usually empty plaza was absolutely swarmed with guards. 

"Great. How do we get in now?" Asha cursed quietly and racked her brain for anything that might be helpful. The normal entry wouldn't work, that was for sure. She still had the gardener's keys...but no, too risky and out in the open. The guards would surely spot them beforehand. The star-drop amphitheatre? No. The bridge was locked other than during the ceremonies... Oh! She had an idea! With bright eyes, she turned to Lucien and grasped his arm. "Can you find a way into the dungeons?"

A bit perplexed, with a light blush marring his cheeks, Lucien nodded and summoned a few mice from nearby, his soft glow drawing them in almost naturally. They communicated with one another for a bit through a series of squeaks until Lucien thanked them and straightened again. 

"A few houses away from here is a hole in the ground that leads to the dungeons. Follow me." He said and hurried off with Asha hot on his heels. 

Sure enough, the mice did not lie as there was indeed a hole in the ground that gaped ominously in this hidden corner as if to swallow them whole. Taking a deep breath, Asha took the lead and jumped inside, landing with a dull thud on the wet and mossy ground. 

Here, within the dim light from Lucien and the outside, a seemingly endless row of barred cells stretched on before them, that ended at a crossroad leading even further in. The scent of rust, rot and wet stone permeated the air, growing ever more foul the further they went in. Within the quiet, only the clinking chains and dripping water could be heard, assuring that they were all alone. And yet, her unease did not let up. With every step she took, something gave way beneath her shoes. A garish, squelching sound that repeated over and over, the closer she got to the cells. 

Both curious and hesitant, Asha stepped closer to the bars, from where the stench was the strongest, accompanied by lightly charred meat. Yet the sight that greeted her almost made her hurl. 

A melted heap of flesh and bones, lying half-decayed on the ground. Infested with rot and maggots, that crawled over what once was beige cloth, now covered in mould and charred jagged lines, that mirrored the ones on the former human body. 

And right at the very front, lay a silver badge in the form of the royal crest, with a dull, cracked emerald in the middle. 

Asha stepped back, her hands clamped shut over her mouth, serving as the sole barrier for the bile that rose from within. Those... Those were... 

She began to walk. Looking into the next cell and the next. Every single one of them had the same charred and melted corpse in various stages of decay, leaving more and more clean bone piles the further back she went. 

Eventually, Asha hit a wall, and her legs gave out beneath her. She couldn't hold it in anymore. Spit pooled within her mouth as sour bile surged upwards, spilling over her lips in hot acidic clumps. She wretched, listening to it splatter onto the stone as harsh coughs followed. 

This could've been her. 

If she had stayed. If she had never discovered the truth. 

And to think that she had once, so desperately, wanted this position...

A pair of warm hands encircled her shoulders and ever so slowly turned her around, away from the bile and the horrors, towards his gentle light. Lucien brushed her braids aside and cupped her face. His touch was grounding enough to finally enable her to speak. 

"They never left, did they? The former apprentices." She rasped, drawing a quiet hum from his chest. 

"I sense the remnants of dark magic on them... Once they were ready to 'leave', they were devoured." He explained and slowly helped her stand again. 

"I am sorry you had to witness this. Do you... Feel better now?" 

"Y-Yes, thank you. Thank you for this." Asha answered and brushed a braid behind her ear, feeling strangely warm all of a sudden. 

"Then let's go." Lucien said gently, "We can give them a proper burial after all this is over." 

As quiet as mice, they rushed upwards through the winding stairs, farther and farther along the cold, damp walls until at last they reached the castle interior on the lowest floor.

There it was quiet. Deathly so.

But they had to keep going. They were too close to stop. Swiftly, Asha grabbed his hand and led them to the upper floors, ever closer to the grand tower. In their hurry, however, Asha did not have time to check the corners as she, at full speed, crashed into someone else. The sheer force of the impact sent both face-first onto the ground with a loud grunt. As the first to recover, Asha, in a panic, raised her fist to knock the person's daylights out until she got a proper look at her face. 

Instead of Metella or some other guard, Isra stared up at her with a pained yet surprised expression. "Asha? Is that you?"

"Isra? What are you doing here so late? Shouldn't you be at home?" Asha replied in kind and scooted back to let her friend stand. 

"The king has forbidden all to leave the castle grounds. And also, I live here. Servants' quarters and all. What are you doing here? They said you betrayed them and were sent to your death! The whole kingdom is in uproar!" Isra explained and continued looking at her with an inquisitive eyebrow. 

Asha sighed. How gladly she would do so, but now was not the time.

"I'm sorry, Isra, but it would take too long to explain this now. I promise I'll tell you everything after this is over, so please, if anyone tries to go to the tower, hold them off, alright?"

Isra frowned, but still, for friendship's sake, mulled everything over. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, she sighed and nodded. "Fine. But don't you and your boyfriend dare get caught." She said and walked back into the shadows from whence she came.

With neither acknowledging the blushes they sported, the pair continued to run through the various hallways until they finally reached the opulent door, beyond which lay the looming tower, now ominous in its design. 

Asha felt dread pool in her gut at the mere thought of running up so many stairs again, something that showed itself through the grimace on her face. 

Before she could take the first step, however, the ground beneath her vanished, and she found herself cradled against a firm chest. As she looked up with a puzzled expression, Lucien smiled at her with unconcealed pride. 

"How could I let a lady climb all these stairs?" He asked and, without any warning, leapt into the air. By sheer instinct alone, Asha's hold on him tightened as the floor became but a dot in the distance, the higher they flew. 

She felt strangely safe in his hold, despite the roaring fear in her gut as she tried not look down too much.

Lucien's easy-going expression, however, vanished with the altitude as he looked around. 

"I hear whispers everywhere."

He muttered as he slowed down, hoping to catch a definitive source. 

Asha, equally confused, looked around as well but saw nothing other than the stairs, the wall and gems within them. 

"Whispers? What whispers?"

"They're wishes, from the city. No, not just that, there is magic as well. Yes, the hum of magic." Lucien muttered again, while Wsha blinked in surprise. 

"What? From where?"

Lucien paused. Straining his ears to focus on something specific, he flew to the right and landed on the staircase, where he set her down. 

"Right here." He answered and brushed his hand over the rhombus gems embedded in the wall. They glowed beneath his touch, revealing a golden core within that was muted and murky from the green sheen overhead. A protective spell that hissed at his touch and forced him to stay out. 

Lucien frowned and let his hand drop. 

"So that's how they did it." He murmured and turned to Asha once more. 

"See this green barrier? They extracted the magic of everyone who lives here and condensed it into these gems under the guise of it being wishes. To arouse no suspicion, they placed memory-altering spells onto them and used this connection to monitor everyone's magical prowess so that any threat or potential asset could be dealt with."

"So these are the 'wishes', the people's magic? But magic is connected to their lives!" Asha exclaimed in horror, as it at last dawned on her why they always seemed so strange.

"Yes. Thankfully, spells like these usually need some kind of anchor to keep functioning, so all we need to do is find the one." Lucien said grimly and continued walking upwards with Asha by his side. 

The rest of the way passed in the blink of an eye as they finally reached the heavy wooden doors beyond which all of their secrets were kept. Lucien was first to move, with steady steps, he approached the study, his outstretched hand ready to push inwards, when the door suddenly opened by itself. 

Asha let out a gasp. It was Jacob who looked just as shocked as she was at the sight of the two of them. He had not changed at all, except for the uniform of an apprentice. However, the shock did not last long. With furrowed eyebrows, he opened his mouth as wide as he could, no doubt ready to scream for the guards. Before he could do so, however, Lucien sprang forth and slammed a hand onto his mouth, sealing it shut with a binding spell that crisscrossed over his lips.

"Not. A. Word." He threatened with brightly glowing eyes. 

"You will show us what we want, and only then will you go, understood?"

Never before had Asha seen him so angry, let alone serious. And she couldn't help but find it a little hot... Ahem, she digressed. 

Jacob, now with damp pants, nodded timidly and shifted his hands behind his back as he stepped back to let them through. And while Asha went straight to the closed-off laboratory to try and open the wall, Lucien studied the study closely and stopped once his eyes fell onto the glass casket within which Amaya's heirloom was kept. 

"This book..." He said as he studied the cover and leaned over to look at the name. "I recognise that symbol. That's one of the mage slayer clans. A major one at that. And that name... that was their leader before he was killed."

Asha, for the utmost time, froze in her tracks. Before she could fully comprehend this, however, an earshattering bang, followed by a sharp whistle, split the quiet of the night. 

Both of their heads whipped around just in time to see the golden flare within Jacob's hand, who had, while they weren't looking, snuck to the window and now grinned at them with glee. 

This time, Asha moved first. 

Like an unstoppable panther, she lunged at him, slamming him full force onto the floor while Lucien rushed over to the glass wall and pushed it aside with a burst of his power, revealing the messy laboratory and, most importantly, the giant crystal behind it. 

"You bastard! Do you even know what you just did?" Asha screamed, knowing full well that her words fell on deaf ears, as Lucien circled the giant pulsing crystal and studied the faint shimmer around its edges that kept it from all harm. 

A sigh left his lips as he approached his beloved and pulled her away from the smug yet mute pig. "That's the core. can feel it draining everything." He affirmed, to which Asha, exhausted yet determined, nodded. 

"Then we destroy it."

"Oho, giving orders in my laboratory?"

A voice suddenly spoke, a voice she was all too familiar with. Aashadhar, or rather, Magnifico stepped forth, a shark-like grin splayed upon his lips as he flexed his crackling wrist that sizzled lightly with burning flesh. Behind him was the same melted heap of flesh that she had seen within the dungeons, and yet again, it almost caused her to throw up. Magnifico, however, turned her attention to him again as he continued. "Why, I appreciate that you came straight here instead of making us find you. However, this will be the last thing you'll ever do."

His teeth glistened in the light, as did his eyes when he raised his hand and fired off a spell, aimed right at Asha. Within the blink of an eye, Lucien deflected it and sent the blast crashing into a nearby table that disintegrated into dust. Unblinking, the humanoid star positioned himself in front of her like an immovable wall, while he whispered to her, "Go. Break it. I'll hold him off."

In quick succession, that once again showed the raw power he had, Lucien attacked the king, drawing both into a heated battle of green and gold. 

Asha flinched with every blast, but tried nevertheless to conjure up a spell strong enough to cut through the seal atop the crystal. With every pained grunt, every new strike, her hands shook, but still she managed to gather just enough power within her hands to pull it off. Yet, just as she was about to fire, an arm slung itself around her throat, placing a green crackling hand just a hair's breadth away from her neck.

"Now, now what do you think you're doing..." Magnifico murmured and turned them both around, so that she saw how Amaya had trapped Lucien in bright green bindings which forced him to kneel on the ground. Wherever the sickly green touched, his skin sizzled, drawing pained groans from the star. Though Amaya's eyes held no sympathy as she simply smiled at them, with the look of a predator that caught its prey.

"How kind of you to bring the star right to us. And how fortunate that he is not bound by any means." She spoke softly and leaned forward to trail her fingers across Lucien's jaw, watching with a coo how his skin blackened under her touch. 

Having had her fun, she approached the crystal and commanded the bindings to follow her as she opened the Grimoire that rightfully belonged to her. Flipping it open, she, with all the patience of a saint, let her fingers trail across the pages until she found what she searched for and began to chant. 

"No! Stop! Can't you see she is a mage slayer? The very same people who destroyed your home?" Asha cried, desperate to get out of her bindings, but Magnifico only tightened his hold with a laugh.

"You thought I didn't know? She showed me the truth. That solely the strong deserve to wield magic and thus must eat the weak. Only so can we forge the perfect world." He declared, sheer madness enveloping his eyes and face, as he launched into a tirade of a Utopia, where they could continue to cultivate their powers without having to wander, and the people would be free from the burdens of magic to live in peace and quiet until the end of their days. An eternal paradise for them and them alone, that would never cease. 

She felt her sanity slip simply from listening to him. What utter nonsense! Truly, he was beyond saving, long since fallen for the sweet lies she told her of this home that could never be destroyed.  Yet it was then, when her eyes locked onto the pained ones of the star – Her star – that still looked at her with such love and tenderness, that something within her clicked. 

She loved him. And as he had once said, "Magic can only come from passion and with passion comes love."

Her heart soared. The old promise that once bound her shattered, and let her magic, after so many painful years, finally roam free. 'Love', she thought, as giddy laughter bubbled from within her, her once dormant power awake once more. 'That was what she had missed, right? Love!'

A burst of golden light, as pure and radiant as the sun itself, spilt from her hands and eyes, disintegrating any bindings Magnifico had placed upon her and sent him flying into a table that broke under his weight. 

Amidst the roaring storm, where sigils wound across Lucien's arms that burnt into his skin in an attempt to force his power under their will, she threw herself at him and embraced his shuddering form.

"Wish for something, Asha! Anything and I will grant it!" Lucien gasped and, despite the pain, still looked at her with such loving eyes. And Asha couldn't help but smile as she answered his plea, "Then I wish to stay with you! Let's be together for eternity!" 

As if ordained by fate, their lips found each other, and Asha felt the bond snap into place. A surge of warmth flooded her, whether it be from the magic or the sheer love she felt. Their magic merged into one. Like a supernova, it burst in surging waves that disintegrated all the dark powers around them at once, including rid Jacob's remains and the forbidden ingredients. At the heart of the magic, Asha felt herself change, her once purple dress transforming into a pure gold and white one that was embroidered with shimmering stars and lotuses, while Lucien gained a perfectly matching set. 

Above them, the barrier fizzled out, and the dark green crystal shattered into smithereens, raining a thousand tiny shards upon them and the ground, that glittered the hues of the rainbow. The crystals in the walls began to glow as well, as the people's memories surged back, causing them to finally remember all the doubts and thoughts they had and erasing the false beliefs planted into their minds. 

Once more, the crystals began to shake within the walls, the newfound rage of their owners empowering the magic within until it finally shattered the forced prison and created yet another earshattering curtain of falling glass. 

And amidst the sounds of freedom, horrid screeching could be heard, as Amaya screamed herself raw. 

She screamed and clawed. The ravenous hunger returned tenfold, now that their feeding source was gone, and the void within her, now at last turned to her own magic and devoured that instead. She screamed, as if she was burned alive, whilst her skin cracked and withered, black veins crawled from her eyes and mouth to her hands, blood burst from her sickly green eyes until this green light spilt through the cracks within her body. And Magnifico? He, without hesitation, despite his own torturous wounds, threw himself at her and embraced his wife for one last time, before a bright green light burst forth and consumed them whole. 

Once everything finally settled, all that was left of the former majesties was a pile of ash and two pairs of crowns, for the new rulers of Rosas. 

And so a new age began.

The kingdom of wishes was transformed into a kingdom of magic, ruled over by Asha and Lucien with justice and kindness as they helped rebuild everything to its proper glory. 

The once forbidden magic was returned to all, while Sabino and all other exiles were freed from the forest and allowed to return to their previous lives. 

Sabino, per his own wishes, was promoted to be a teacher of magic, as it had always been his dream to inspire others, and he took it upon himself to teach the next generation all about what magic was really like. 

The former apprentices were rightfully buried, the city walls torn down, and old villages rebuilt. New books were allowed to arrive from all over the world, and once their time came to an end, the two royals passed on and were internalised as the two brightest stars in the entire night sky. 

That from then on watched over the world, to always remind the people to strive for their own goals, no matter how impossible. 

The end.