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The gray walls of the labyrinth are cool to the touch. Coco runs the pads of her fingertips over the rough surface, her eyes tracing the length of the wall. There is no blemish in any spot to see.
She swallows thickly, her body unnatural still. Behind her, the dragon roars. It sends shivers down her spine.
“Master Qifrey,” she mumbles, like a prayer. There is no response from her new teacher. He is nowhere to be seen, no one is to be seen. She knows she is no longer in Kalhn. Everyone is gone, and it’s just Coco in this vast, open labyrinth.
It’s cold. Just a little cold–chilly.
“Master Qifrey,” she says again, hoping, praying. Anytime now, her teacher will come swooping in to save her, just like he did the last time. Just before something terrible happens to her.
The dragon responds in his stead. The terrible sound it makes is deafening; it vibrates through her entire body. She bites her tongue, willing herself not to make a noise.
There would be no salvation from her teacher this time. She’s on her own this time.
Coco runs through the streets, ducking into the small hallways whenever she can. The dragon’s footsteps thunder behind her, chasing.
Stupid, she’s stupid. She should’ve kept low. She’s so stupid.
She bites the inside of her cheek as she turns a corner, her shoes slipping. Quickly righting herself, Coco breaks off to a taller structure and ducks into a smaller crevice. The dragon bellows right behind her.
She clutches her robes as she turns left and huddles herself into the far end of a small hallway. Before she can exit into another space, she stops to listen. There’s a second where the world stills, and there’s no sound to be heard. Then – as if the world is going to end – the dark hallway explodes in light.
Bright fire pours from the entrance. The flames hit the wall, and Coco watches in terror as they crawl up towards her. She closes her eyes, and yet the darkness behind the lids of her eyes is lit up. The heat is scorching.
For what feels like a lifetime, the fire continues. She’s not sure if it’s her or the dragon, but something is screaming. It echoes in the empty labyrinth.
Finally, the dragon tires. The fire stops, and the hallway falls back into darkness. For one last time, the dragon roars into the sky and stomps its feet. It walks away, the ground shaking as it does.
Coco releases her breath as all the tension leaves her body. She falls against the wall and slumps down with an audible thud, curling up on herself. The stone beneath her is hot to the touch, scalding. Despite the uncomfortable heat, Coco presses closer to the warmth. The labyrinth is cold, much colder than before. It’s starting to hurt.
She takes account of herself and pulls her weary body off the floor. Thankfully, she isn’t hurt, only a few minor scrapes and bruises from bumping into things as she ran. There’s no more sound from the dragon outside, so it seems to have run off. Coco pulls out her components as she thinks.
She observed the dragon walking around in a perimeter, circling one of the pillars. If Coco gets too close, she gets chased off. Sneaking around it is dangerous. If she’s seen at all, she’ll be fried alive. After scouting around, she sees a strange circle drawn on the body of the pillar. If she had to guess, it would be the spell holding this place together.
She looks down at her hands. She has… her pen, ink, and some paper. It’s really not a lot to work with. Not to mention her lack of knowledge. Sure, she knows the basics, but actually putting it into use? Actually finding a solution to her answer?
Coco grumbles. She sits herself up against the wall and relishes the warm stone. Cold stone is starting to hurt when she touches it for too long.
Soon, she’ll need to do something, or else she’ll freeze to death. Either that or the dragon gets to her. She shudders thinking about it.
Qifrey knows something is off. He can feel it.
He looks around, his eye searching the shop. Nothing seems out of place or particularly significant. Perhaps he’s being paranoid? It wouldn’t be the first time, but he’s usually right about his hunches.
Before he can look around again, he hears Richeh’s voice. She’s asking for help with finding a new pen.
He shakes his head. Surely it’s nothing. He’s just being paranoid.
Coco huffs as she leans against the wall again. This time, the contact is freezing to the touch. She shivers as she rears her exposed skin away, careful to keep her clothing as a barrier between the two.
The dragon — which she swears is much larger than before — curls up against the pillar. It looks massive now, and the labyrinth feels smaller. She bites the inside of her cheek, frustrated.
She had planned to draw a spell on the ground and hide into a crevice to finish the circle whenever the dragon walked in. It was a giant fire spell and it would shoot up a pillar of fire to consume the dragon. Good that did for her, it found her drawing before ever walking into the trap. Also, she’s pretty sure dragons are immune to fire. It would only make sense.
She looks down at her components. She lost her notebook while in the chase and her ink is more than half empty now with nothing to show for it. Slowly, fear seeps into her chest. She swallows the lump in her throat.
Maybe she could distract the dragon with a spell on the other side of the labyrinth as she sneaks her way up to the pillar? No, how would she complete the distraction and make it in time? Maybe if she drew a flying spell on her shoes? It could work, except she’s pretty sure the dragon would just fly up and eat her. Not to mention she can't fly well yet. She could… wait it out? Wait out for what? For the dragon to become the size of the labyrinth and to lose hiding space? Wait for it to fall asleep? Wait for rescue? None of that would happen, she can’t afford to wait for something like that.
Before she can think of any other plans, the hallway she sits in darkens. A figure blots out the light from the sky and Coco’s heart drops. Her body rigidly moves of its own accord as she looks up. Beady eyes stare at her. She stares back.
She can’t even scream before the world erupts in flames.
“Where’s Coco?” he asks, freezing where he stands. He whips around, eyes searching. He finds Richeh and Tetia staring at him, their hands full with pens. He can see the moment when his question registers in their heads, their own little eyes looking around. They find open space and no witch apprentice. Qifrey’s blood runs cold. That’s what isn’t right, where’s Coco?
“Isn’t she upstairs?” Tetia says quietly, like she’s afraid it isn’t true. “With Mr. Nolnoa?”
“Richeh saw her with him a while a go,” Richeh adds.
Qifrey nods and tries his best for a smile. He’s not sure his students believe it, his mouth feels wobbly. “Thank you girls, I’m going to go check on her.” He gently places the materials back on the table and makes his way to the stairs. His legs are a blur as he all but runs up the silverwood tree.
From the corner of his eye he can see the two girls look at each other with worry in their eyes.
Coco gasps as she wakes up. She clutches the neck of her clothes as she wheezes; body shaking with each breath she takes. Her knees burn as she gags from the coughing, her stomach too empty to throw anything up. It doesn’t matter, she heaves up air as her body convulses. Collapsing on the floor, she presses her forehead to the cool stone beneath her. The relief is euphoric, even against her cold skin.
Fire, everything was on fire. The world was filled with fire and she was consumed by a scorching heat. She shudders as she heaves up nothing as she thinks about it. Her skin feels itchy, her bones brittle, her body dissolved. Fire, she died to fire. She remembers the feeling of her skin melting and the smell of cooking flesh. Oh, nothing is coming up as she gags but the pain is still there.
She lays there for an eternity, sinking into the floor. She lays there long enough for the stone to turn from cool to cold to unbearably freezing. She lays there even as the dragon flies up above. She lays there feeling dead.
And isn’t that what happened? She died, didn’t she? The fire killed her, she remembers dying. It was so painful, so terrible. She trembles as she lays there, remembering.
…Was this the afterlife? No, she was still in the labyrinth and the dragon was still here. Then… was it all a dream? But it felt so real. She doesn’t understand. She doesn’t know if she wants to understand.
The dragon — as large as it once was already — descends upon her. She trembles beneath it, willing her body to move.
The last thing she sees is gleaming teeth and the dark void of a mouth.
Qifrey bites his tongue as he wills himself not to panic. Focus, he must stay focused. He’s the teacher, he’s the adult, he mustn’t lose his composure.
“Mr. Nolnoa.” He turns to the old man, his eyes pleading. “Could you please watch over my girls here? I need to go find my wandering student.”
“Of course,” the shopkeep says joyfully. His grin is shining and Qifrey truly wishes he could match the energy. His insides squirm. “Say, you should ask Tartah if he’s seen her.”
“I will. Thank you for the suggestion.” Qifrey nods, his feet already taking him back downstairs. He catches sight of the young boy just as he reaches the bottom, carving knife in hand. Tartah looks up at the sound of footsteps.
“Oh, Mr. Qifrey,” the boy says. “What can I do for you?”
“Tartah, have you seen Coco? My newest apprentice? I haven’t seen her in the shop for some time.”
“Oh.” Tartah points towards the window with his carving knife. “I saw her leave the shop a bit ago, following someone, I think?”
Qifrey’s stomach drops. “Following someone? Who?”
“I didn’t see their face since they were wearing a mask. But they looked a little funny, their clothes and all.”
“…A mask? What kind of mask, Tartah?”
Tartah scratches the side of his cheek as he thinks, his eyes trailing down the cobblestone pathway. Finally, his eyes light up with a memory. When Qifrey looks into the young boys eyes, he can see his own reflection. Already, he knows the answer. His insides burn with the uncomfortable reality of his own failing. Tartah — the sweet child — speaks Qifrey’s fear into existence.
“I think it was an eye mask.”
Finally, she gets her bearings, but it’s a very slow process. She lays on the ground for a long time, still as before, reliving the same memory. And again just like before, the dragon finds her as the stone becomes freezing to the touch.
Large and sharp teeth gleam in the recess of her mind — that and the sound of chewing. She hurls but it’s just air. Fire follows suit but there’s nothing to come up.
The stone shifts from cool to cold when Coco finally gathers the strength to stand up. She leans against the wall as she regains feeling in her limbs. Her body feels out of sorts and immediately she knows why. There are no scars and there are no burns but the thought of death lingers in the back of her mind. She shudders so violently she nearly falls again.
Is this what the labyrinth truly is? Will she be forced to repeat it all until she escapes? Is she actually dying? Coco wants to cry but finds that she cannot.
She checks her components and finds everything just as it once was when she entered. Gripping her pen, Coco makes her way under shelter with a clear view of the dragon. It’s not as large as before but its definitely big now. The clock is ticking and Coco has wasted so much time already.
Swallowing the gag that bubbles up from her throat, she levels her gaze and begins a new plot.
Qifrey runs through the streets like a madman. He can feel all the stares from around him but he doesn’t let it faze him, not now. The streets widen and narrow as he runs through Kalhn. He ducks into alleyways and surveys wide streets from above. When he doesn’t spot any shade of green hair, he moves on.
When he sees the distinct blue of his atelier’s uniform from the corner of his eye, he nearly cries from relief. The descent from a rooftop is quick and grants him a chorus from unhappy witches, but Qifrey doesn’t have it in him to care. He doesn’t even think before he shouts, “Coco!”
Immediately, he notices his mistake. Agott meets his gaze as she turns around, surprised. “Master Qifrey?” she prompts, a brow raised.
His heart sinks again. “Oh, Agott. I apologize, I thought you were Coco. Have you seen her, by chance?”
“So she’s lost, is she?” She doesn’t answer his question, but her mocking statement is answer enough. Qifrey doesn’t have the heart in him to admonish the girl, not when he needs to move and find his newest student. Something is terribly wrong, very wrong. He should’ve listened to his gut earlier.
“Yes, I fear she’s wandered on her own,” He deflects, his legs already on the move. “If you see her, show her to the Starry Sword, would you?”
Agott hums, falling into place beside him. He can see her struggle a bit, matching his pace. “Nonsense, I’ll assist you.”
He doesn’t reject her. They move on to the next street.
She fails again. And again. And again. It’s by the fifth cycle (because that’s what this is, isn’t? A cycle caused from the spell? It has to be, Coco can’t accept anything else. It’s all just in her head) after her first ‘death’ that she finds someone new in the labyrinth. Or perhaps, they find her.
“Coco,” the brimhat witch says, his voice a gleeful drawl. “How are you faring?”
Coco freezes where she kneels. The pen in her hand shakes as she stares down at the half-finished spell on the ground. She can see the shadow of the brimhat witch grow larger as he comes nearer, flying in the air. Soon, he’s right next to her. He bends down as he examines the spell. All Coco wants to do is run.
“Oh,” his voice drops down to a disappointed tone. Coco flinches, tensing her body for whatever is to come. Nothing ever does and the brimhat witch simply sighs in exasperation. “What a rather boring spell. Surely you have something else planned?”
Somehow, she finds it in her to speak. “I don’t know any other spells, I haven’t been taught.” It’s silly to defend herself, especially to such a person. She stares at him, eyes wide. He stares at her back.
(He looks like the way he did all those years ago. The eye mask, the cloak, the hat. All of it is identical to the witch in her memories. Even the sound of his voice is familiar, as much as she hates it. After all these years, he’s finally in front of her. It’s too sudden with no build-up. She wants to… she needs to… Coco doesn’t know. She doesn’t know what to do. She needs to escape this labyrinth and get back to her atelier, but the brimhat is here and she… she wants… what? Revenge? Justice? An answer? She doesn’t know. She doesn’t want to know. Coco just wants to go home.)
The brimhat witch laughs. First, he flops backwards as laughter shakes his figure; the tassels of his witch hat shaking. Then he doubles over as though truly Coco had said the funniest thing. She kneels there, still scared. Her knees are starting to hurt now from staying in the same position for so long. Still, she cannot find it in her to move.
“Oh, my dear Coco.” He laughs. Honestly laughs. “You surely jest.”
Coco bristles. Only Master Qifrey is allowed to call her that.
The brimhat witch doesn’t care for her wants, though. Though she cannot see his face, she is sure he is smiling. Smiling widely and insanely. She shifts her body away, just ever so slightly. Fear courses through her veins like ice.
“You know many spells Coco, more spells than any child your age,” the witch says. His hands light up with magic, and instantly Coco recognizes the spell. It’s the same one he showed her so many years ago. For a moment, she’s mesmerized by the sight. It’s like she’s a child again, naive and easily tricked. She watches with wide eyes as the light flickers through his fingers and bursts in images. It’s beautiful.
Once it’s over, she blinks and snaps back to focus. He’s a brimhat witch, she needs to remember that. He’s dangerous. Guilty.
“I don’t,” she says, even though she really shouldn’t be talking to him. Maybe she’s been in here longer than she’s thought. She’s a little lonely and it’s nice to stop thinking about scalding hot fire and gleaming sharp teeth. “I don’t know any more spells.”
“Oh, but you do,” he insists, waving his hand through the air. An image forms, a familiar one. “You remember all of these spells, do you not?”
The area above his palm forms a dark smoke and through it, she can see a book. The cover is leather-bound with pretty imagery and a wand floats around it. No, not a wand, it’s a pen. The picture book. The book the witch sold to her as a child. Her heart aches as she thinks about it — thinks about her mother.
“I can’t,” she croaks out. “I can’t,” she insists.
The brimhat shrugs, and with it the picture book disappears in the cloud of smoke. He begins to float away, his eerie voice echoing in the near empty labyrinth. “Very well, my dear Coco. But know this, your assignment will be all that much harder without it.”
He disappears right before her eyes. She’s left alone again with nothing to show for it.
The dragon roars in the distance. It’s a timely reminder. She gets to work, getting back to her half-finished spell. She’ll show him, she doesn’t need those spells to save herself or her mother.
Somehow, Tetia and Richeh find them.
“Master!” Tetia comes racing through the streets and nearly crashes into Qifrey. He ends up grabbing her by the shoulders as she slows herself down. “We heard from Tartah that Coco’s missing!”
Richeh comes flying in behind her, gracefully landing in between Qifrey and Agott. She looks determined. “We’re here to help.”
Qifrey’s heart warms at his students. He desperately wants to turn them away, to shield them from his failures and to reassure them of his promises to protect them. He wants to be the foundation on which they can rely on — but he knows better. Children or not, he stands a better chance at finding Coco with them than without. His heart aches but the anxiety of Coco’s disappearance is a stronger motivator. He’ll have to make it up later on.
“Stay with a partner, make sure you never lose sight of them,” he says, looking each in the eye. He’s lost one, he won’t lose another. “Quickly now, before we lose any more time.”
They all nod as they set further into Kalhn.
Coco’s hand trembles as she draws her circle. They haven’t stopped trembling for a while now, even before this cycle. Maybe even further before the last one. She doesn’t really know anymore, doesn’t know how many times she’s ‘died’. She does, however, remember the feeling of the ginormous weight of a foot crushing her. She remembers the crack of bones as she falls from the sky. She remembers the sting and pain of her own spell backfiring on her. All of this and nothing to show for it.
She stopped crying a while ago. She can only settle herself after writhing in phantom pain on the floor, but it’s better than spending almost all her time in tears.
Quietly, she feels a presence behind her. She already knows who it is.
“Leave,” Coco grits out, her grip on her pen tight. Any harder and she fears she might break her pen. If that happens she’ll have to restart the cycle and she isn’t very inclined to die at this moment.
When the brimhat doesn’t leave, Coco tries her best to ignore him. Unfortunately, he doesn’t make it easy. “Tell me Coco, how are you faring now? I see you haven’t gotten very far.”
The fear of the brimhat feels muted, if Coco has to compare from before. If anything, she feels immense irritation. She tries not to think about how unafraid she feels. She’ll unpack it all later, after she escapes the labyrinth.
The brimhat tuts as he floats above her. He sits on the edge of a wall as he looks down. He doesn’t speak as Coco works away. He simply watches from his perch, like that of a bird. In the distance, she can hear the thundering steps of the dragon.
“What boring magic, surely you’ve already tried this? Is there anything new planned for the dragon?”
She does not respond.
“It would be so easy, you know? Pick any spell out of the book, and you would find yourself free from this labyrinth quickly.”
She does not respond.
“Aren’t you tired of this? There are better ways to spend your day than this dreary labyrinth, Coco.”
She does not respond.
“If you do not wish to use the book, than indulge me, Coco. I will teach you any spell your heart desires.”
She-
“…Any spell?”
The brimhat perks up. He jumps down from his ledge quickly and scampers next to her. Surprisingly, he is respectful and does not step on her still wet casting seal. It is not important, but Coco feels very detail-oriented right now. She looks up at him.
“Whatever your heart desires,” he echoes happily. If she could see his eyes right now, she’s sure his would be gleaming. “I will fulfill it to the best of my abilities.”
She smiles wearily, her pen shaking in her fist. Not because she’s gripping it, but just because.
“Teach me the time reversal spell.”
Clearly, it isn’t what the brimhat wants to hear. His shoulders sag in disappointment and his head hangs in disbelief. Regardless, he keeps his word. He brings his pen up and draws it into the wall behind Coco, the casting seal unfinished. She stares at it, her mind whirling for spell ideas.
“Qifrey is surely wasting your time if he hasn’t taught you this yet,” he mutters, still in that slimy drawl.
She ignores him.
Soon enough, the brimhat disappears the same way he came: quietly. Coco is again left to her devices. She draws and draws and draws. She draws for her salvation. She draws for her escape.
Hopefully, it is enough.
Richeh stops Qifrey with a tug of his cloak. He slows down, turning around to look at his young apprentice. Her eyes are elsewhere.
“Richeh?” he prompts, a little hurrying. “Have you seen something?”
She points towards an alleyway. “Richeh sees the brushbug.”
Tetia nods as she circles back to the two of them, Agott following behind. “Yeah, isn’t that the one Coco picked up from during the first test?”
“Brushbugs are sensitive to ink, are they not? Perhaps it knows where she went,” Agott chimes in.
Qifrey’s heart jumps. Yes, yes they are sensitive to the ink. And the brushbug is always with Coco, of course it would know. He lets out a genuine smile just as his heart starts to race. His feet begin to move before he can even think about it. “Good eye Richeh. Let’s go check it out.”
She thinks of the warm stone she sat on. It feels like a lifetime ago, but she remembers it so vividly. The heat was euphoric against her skin — against the cold. She would do anything to feel it again.
Surely, surely the dragon feels the same.
She draws fire spell after fire spell. She draws them large and far apart. She keeps in mind the distance between her and the dragon at all times and ducks for cover whenever it passes by. She draws her sigils so many times she’s pretty sure she could do it with her eyes closed. Coco draws, for she is a witch.
Finally, just as the cold turns to freezing, she makes a break for it.
She finishes the casting seals on the top of a stone structure and ducks into another hallway just as it erupts. The heat is immense as it follows her, but Coco does not stay still. She moves on to the next spell and finishes that one too. The fire that it produces licks at her heels. She might have a burn after that one but there isn’t time to dwell on it. She runs for the next.
Soon enough, there are towers of fire all around. Coco presses her arm to the freezing stone and hisses as her burns cool off. She waits there, watching.
The dragon — the size of what looks to be a mountain — tilts its head as it inspects the pillars of fire. It’s too big for the spell to pose any threat so it is more curious than caution. Regardless, it is intrigued. It walks closer to the flames. Coco holds her breath.
Then, with the might of such a large creature, it falls to the ground and writhes on it. The world trembles as the dragon wiggles; the tremors are almost enough to knock Coco down. It’s enjoying itself, though, and that’s more than enough for her.
She doesn’t fall. Instead, she runs. She makes her way to the pillar with the casting seal with desperate speed. The labyrinth becomes smaller the further up she goes, and the height is enough to give Coco pause. She overlooks the stony labyrinth with her heart in her throat, eyes trained on the dragon. It’s a grand view — too grand. She wants to go home.
When she finally makes her way to the sigil, it occurs to her that she doesn’t know what to do with it. She stares at the spell that’s given her so much grief and pain. It’s complicated, overly so. She doesn’t even know where to begin understanding it. It looks nothing like the one from the book, the one that took her mother away. Coco knows this, and yet…
She stares at it. There is nothing to stare back.
Rubble. They find rubble. The brushbuddy squeaks as it dances through it, impatient. Qifrey already knows something is wrong just as he croaches down. The stone is heavy and it takes all his effort to turn it around. His eyes widen as sees it — feels it.
“Casting ink?” he hears Tetia say behind him, close. The air shifts as she does and Qifrey’s heart drops. He pushes his student away with a wind spell. She cries as she crashes into the street behind them, but there is no time to feel guilty.
He yells at the other two. “Go to Tetia!”
Immediately, his two other students spring into action. Richeh flies away as Agott makes quick work of the distance. He’s grateful for their obedience, but less enthusiastic for what’s to come.
The alleyway explodes with a wind, sending Qifrey flying. Just before he can get his bearings and use his shoes, the air shifts again and he is sucked in. The girls are holding unto each other and the other buildings for support. It’s the last thing he sees before the world changes around.
“Stay there-!”
He disappears.
Coco holds on tight to the pillar as rapid winds circle around her. It sounds like screaming and it is terribly deafening.
She looks up just as the sky opens up, light pouring in. It’s beautiful and Coco cannot help but be utterly transfixed. She stares at the sight — the grand view — with hazy eyes and weak limbs. Her body feels sluggish and her eyes droopy. She’s so very tired and all the more scared for it. Something is wrong with her, she just doesn’t know what.
“Coco!” Someone screams. Their voice is hoarse with use. “Coco!”
There — like an angel coming down — is her teacher. His cloak billows behind him and his hat is only kept in place with a hand. He whips around manically, searching. Searching for her, she realizes. The words make it out before she can register the relief. “Master! Master! Over here!”
His gaze lands on her like an arrow. He shoots off quickly and aims straight for her. She reaches a hand out, waiting. He does the same.
The dragon roars. She sees her teacher rear back at the last second before his place is replaced with the dragon’s shut maw. The sound of its teeth clamping down on nothing is loud as it zooms by, already circling back. Terror pools down to her stomach.
“Just wait there Coco!” Her teacher shouts. She sees him pull out his pen and some paper. His eye flashes with impatience. “Hold on to something!”
Coco backs away from the ledge and flattens herself against the curved wall. When she looks behind her, she finds the forbidden spell.
Her teacher starts to fly up, climbing higher and higher. For a second, Coco is afraid he’s going to leave. Her heart lurches just as he stops at the top of the world. She cannot see him clearly but his movements are exaggerated and precise. He draws something and Coco waits with bated breath.
The clouds disappear. The sky opens up even more with the only obstructions being her teacher and the dragon. Coco’s eyes widen as a sea of water forms and builds, casting a golden glow over the labrynith. Another dragon appears, one made of water with her salvation as its purpose. It looms over the world, terrifying.
The first dragon — the wretched creature that made her time in the labyrinth a living nightmare — screams in fear. It doubles back and flies back down to the ground. Coco’s salvation chases it relentlessly. The two creatures crash against the floor with a thunderous rumble. This time, the world truly shakes. It is not just a figment of her imagination; the ground Coco stands on actually shakes. The pillar tilts right and Coco can feel the sharp sting of her head hitting the wall.
The last thing she sees is the silhouette of her teacher up in the sky.
“My dear Coco, you truly are a clever girl.”
She knows this voice. She dreams of it.
“And so very stubborn. Not even a single spell from the book?”
No, she would rather die.
“Well, I am still very impressed. You’ve outdone yourself this time.”
She didn’t want to. She wants to go home.
“I’m glad to have shared this time with you.
Let her go home. She wants to see her teacher, her atelier.
“Until next time, my dear. Until next time.”
She just wants her Mama.
She feels herself shaking. Rather, she feels someone shaking her. Her eyes open slowly.
The sky above her is dark, a stark contrast to the blinding bright light from the labyrinth. The walls are gray and Coco nearly hurls, until she realizes the shade is much darker and there are cracks — blemishes. She opens her eyes to see her teacher looming over her, his face stricken with concern.
Slowly, she begins to hear again. “—co? Coco? Can you hear me? Are you alright?”
No, she wants to say, she really isn’t.
She finds she cannot speak. Her mouth is dry with thirst. She settles for a nod.
With that, her teacher’s body sags with relief. She can see his eye is blurry with tears. He looks off to the side and beckons. “Girls, help find water, would you?”
Coco can hear both Tetia’s and Richeh’s quick, “Yes master!” before they are off. She stares at the open sky.
“Agott, could you…” she hears him pause. His voice wavers, she’s never heard him like that before. “Could you find Mr. Nolnoa?”
Agott does not respond. From the corner of Coco’s eye, she can see the girl stare at her. There’s a quiet horror in her gaze — fear. “Master… her wounds are-“
“Go.” There is no room for argument. She sees shadows shift as her teacher comes to block Coco’s view of Agott — as he blocks Agott’s view of her. “Find Mr. Nolnoa. Please…”
There is a quiet agreement before Agott’s footsteps disappear from the alleyway. Her teacher turns back to her and she meets his gaze.
“Master Qifrey…” she manages to make out. Her throat constricts as she pushes the words out. Her face scrunches.
“Save your breath Coco,” Qifrey says. He reaches out and puts a tender hand on her forehead. Despite the easing warmth, she finds his hand shaky. Her teacher’s voice wobbles as he comforts her. “You’ve been very brave, you’re safe now. Rest.”
There is no strength in her to disagree. She nods off just as the familiar voices of Tartah and Mr. Nolnoa reaches her.
She fades in and out of consciousness.
“-bring her to a doctor?”
“She has no wou-”
“Impossible-”
“-she be okay?”
“-can we do to-”
“Let’s go home-”
The world constantly shifts around her. She feels herself being picked up and moved around. The voices around her are soft. she is treated with such tender gentleness. Coco cries.
When she finally comes to, she finds herself under a familiar ceiling. She waits for the sound of a dragon or for the walls around her to change to an eerie gray colour. It never does. She blinks as she wills herself not to cry.
The window beside her shows a dark horizon, the moon rising over the hilltops. She stares at it for a while. It’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen.
When her stomach grumbles, and she is reminded of the ache in her limbs, Coco gets up from her bed and onto the floor. When she looks down at her body, she finds it bandaged and wrapped. The work is clumsy, like that of a child’s. Coco loosens one enough to peek under it. Strangely, there are no wounds. Not even the burn on her arm from the last cycle remains. Despite that, there is a persistent pain when she moves. Prickling sensations cover her body and concentrate over where she remembers every death. Her fingers move rigidly, and she remembers the feeling of being crushed underfoot. Her arm itches with that of her burn. Her torso aches, and Coco can just see where the gleaming teeth of the dragon rips her apart.
She can’t help it. Despite the tireless reminder of her empty stomach, Coco’s stomach retches. Her body makes a thud as she falls to the ground, elbows bracing against the floor as she shakes. Her stomach spasms with want, and Coco suffers all the more for it.
Her door bursts open as someone rushes in. For a second, Coco thinks it’ll be Qifrey. When she looks up, she finds black hair and dark, purple eyes.
“Agott,” Coco wheezes out.
“Coco,” Agott responds in kind. Her new roommate is quick to help her back to bed, and Coco feels even more guilt as she falls back down to the ground. Agott — the kind soul — doesn’t say anything as she helps again.
“Where’s Master Qifrey?” she can’t help but ask.
Agott sits her down back on the bed, her brows creasing. “He’s resting right now. He wouldn’t leave your side at all until he collasped himself.”
Coco’s stomach churns. “Oh.” She curls in on herself despite the pain.
“Doesn’t matter,” Agott quickly backtracks, an evident guilt on her face. “I’ll go get him-“
Coco’s hand surges out and takes hold of Agott’s wrist. Her grip is tight, and Agott stumbles a little as she is pulled back. Dark, purple eyes stare back at her. “Coco?”
“Please, don’t bother him,” she pleads.
“But-“
“No, I-I’ll be fine. Let him rest.”
“But Coco you’re-“
Her stomach growls. It’s a loud, terrible thing. Coco’s face flushes as she turns away. Agott sighs as she comes back to Coco’s side.
“I’m just hungry, that’s all,” Coco argues. “No need to wake him.”
“Very well, let’s get you some food,” Agott says. She supports Coco as they make their way out the door.
The study room is lit only on Agott’s side. Coco sees a cluster of paper and spells spread across the usually neat desk space. Her own table is desolate and empty. Moonlight beams down from the window, casting a blue glow over everything. When Coco turns to Agott, she finds a delicate shine in Agott’s eyes. The shade of purple is lovely already and Coco finds herself captivated by the colour as its lit up by the moon’s blue glow.
Agott, because she is kind and considerate, does not comment on Coco’s staring. Despite her nonchalantence, Coco can see a flush of red creep up from Agott’s collar. She does not laugh because that would be mean, but Coco allows herself the warmth of Agott’s companionship to fill the empty cavity of her chest.
They make it to the kitchen quickly with no interruptions. Coco’s stomach growls again just as she is sat down by Agott. She blinks owlishly as her roommate gets to work in the kitchen.
“Just sit,” Agott says, effectively cutting off whatever Coco was about to say. Agott’s sharp gaze keeps Coco on her seat, waiting. “We had soup today and it’s still warm, just wait for me to serve it. You needn't do anything.”
Coco smiles softly, pressing her fingers together and relishing in the quiet of the atelier. “Okay, thank you Agott.”
“Of course,” Agott huffs as she spoons a generous amount of food into a bowl. The action is quick and easy. Coco doesn’t have to wait long for the hot food to sit in front of her. Agott hands her a spoon. “Here.”
Coco takes the utensil gingerly, her hands shaking. Agott — who Coco is now convinced to be another angel — does not mock or remark on Coco’s shaky hands. It is surely a detriment for a witch, but Agott’s eyes are not on Coco’s hands. They’re on Coco, watching.
“Is there anything else you need?” Agott prompts, sitting herself down across from Coco.
“No.” Coco shakes her head. She spoons the food into her mouth and nearly cries as the taste of her teacher’s cooking fills her.
“Nothing?” Agott’s brow raises, unimpressed.
Coco’s eyes soften. How kind of her. “You being here is enough. Thank you, Agott.”
Again, Agott flushes. It crawls up her neck and settles itself across the bridge of Agott’s nose. “Very well, if that’s all.”
Finally, Coco laughs. The sound echoes in the empty atelier. It’s a nice sound, altogether different and much better than the labyrinth's emptiness. Finally, her nightmare is over. Finally, Coco is home — as home as the atelier can be. She eats her food and wills her shaky hands to still.