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The blue-haired boy sunk his teeth into his lip
crack
crack
He should have gotten used to this but its not something that he needs to get used to.
Why does his voice betray him every time he needs to speak, or his hands start to quiver when he starts drawing spells after he's beaten.
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Some days he missed ribbons, he missed the transparency, the colours dancing, gleaming, and shining atop of them. He missed the courage Richeh used to give him. He'd keep anything that Richeh gave him. The pretty spells were a reflection of her. Now he's to cowardly to see her again. He's the reason she has nightmares anyways. He should have helped her when she needed him. Why couldn't he.
Why was he so scared then?
Why is he still scared?
Professor was an uptight sensible witch who could teach him to be better, course, he wasn't any better;
He was scared of
crowds
loud noise
people shouting
pain
Richeh getting hurt
forced to do something he doesn't want to.
His professor was evil, wicked, cruel and vile
Why was he such a scaredy cat?
How was Richeh supposed to look up to him anyways...
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His things were quickly loaded into the Bubble Carriage, he didn't have much, just enough for him. Richeh came running to him, her blue eyes glossy and filled with sadness, wishing for him to not leave.
"I- I made these for you, wear them" Her hand tightly held a bunch of those magical crystal ribbons. She took his wrist and carefully tied each of the ribbons till both wrists were covered with the ribbons
"Thank you Richeh, they're beautiful, keep making things you love, okay?" She nodded proud of his wrists, the ribbons wrapped over themselves almost forming bangles.
Rili always knew each one of Richeh's spells were beautiful and special in they're own way. Every one of her small Glyphs and crystal ribbons. He'd do anything for Richeh to not be a complete mess of a brother like him. Richeh showed him everything she loved, he never forced her to learn something she didn't like. He was the only one who never earned an ang-richeh point.
He held that fact in his heart like a trophy.
The water gushed past him creating waves, he couldn't feel the ripples though. Magic is truly amazing. The bubble carriage stopped at the atelier of his new Professor.
His professor came out waiting for him to enter the atelier, and so he did, gathering the three bags he had.
His new professor had seen him at the great hall, he seemed awed by Riliphin's control over his quill and dainty hands in which he used to draw his sigils and glyphs comfortably. Thats how he ended up here anyways.
The atelier seemed to scream at his ears but there was no noise. It almost felt like a crowd was staring at him, peering everywhere he was insecure about, his bony collar bones or the mole on his knuckle on his left hand, even things he wasn't insecure about like the ribbons on his wrist.
Oh there was a crowd.
A handful of children his age stared at him, their faces signalling him to run, that he wasn't ready for this atelier, he wasn't. His professor shunned him into a room with strict rules, come out for lessons or to eat otherwise don't bother leaving his room. No complaining, no disobeying, no telling anyone about getting beaten. Wait what?
Professor came back a little later. He brought a bundle of textbooks. Practical glyphs, How to master spells for everything, the guide to every water spell you could cast, history of why forbidden spells are bad, the day of the pact; regulations to spells made, Why impractical spells shouldn't be used, Limits of magic, Spells for scary situations (verified by knights moralis).
"Oh I'm sorry Riliphin we must have gotten of on the wrong foot, these are all the books you should have memorised," He peered at Riliphin's wrists. "What are these silly ribbons on your wrists for? You aren't a girl, you shouldn't wear those they almost looked like bangles." His professor sneered. Whats wrong with that? He thought. His professor's loud snake like voice annoyed him.
"My sister gave them to me" he whispered looking up at is professor almost as if he were glaring at him. He couldn't glare at his professor, his mother was internally scolding him in his head to not be rude to those older than you.
"Oh, you should have some shame to look at that", his professor said, slapping his face. ow. His hand rushed to his face, his own cold hand like an icepack against the heat rushing there. His hand was forcefully tugged off his cheek, one of his wrists in a tight grip by his professor, as each of the pretty ribbons Richeh had carefully tied onto his wrists was torn off. His other hand was clenched in a tight fist; however, he didn't dare move it.
"Don't do that" his voice cracked as he tried pulling his wrist away but his attempts were futile. Slowly, the pile of crystal ribbons piled on the floor. Angry tears poked his eyes daring to spill at any moment. Soon his wrists were bare. On instinct right after glancing at his wrists he scooped the ribbons with his hands and ran to hide them with his professor. He could starve me for days but I wont let him take this part of me.
He walked back to his professor after stuffing the ribbons into his pillow, silently prepping himself for scoldings. He took a deep breath before standing in front of his professor bowing his head down in apology.
"I wont look at you like that again" He bit back a snare, keeping his composure and not letting the tears in his eyes spill you're doing okay Riliphin.
"I was really thinking of excusing you from any punishments as it was your first day today but," you slapped me on my face wasn't that enough? His professor's fingers lifted Riliphin's chin up, almost smiling at him menacingly.
Riliphin was brought into the living room; he felt his fellow apprentices eyes look at him
don't look at me please
There was a carpet in the living room were he was shoved on, the centre of attention. There was a small table that had some sort of thin wooden stick but it looked more flexible.
"Alright boy kneel with atleast one leg, arms up," Riliphin was hesitant, he didn't understand what was going on except the eyes creeping up on him, it made the hairs on his neck stand "Hurry up boy, otherwise would you like twenty beatings?" so that what this was... Riliphin obliged, his arms up and head down in silent prayers for him to run away and never come back. He didn't really do anything.
crack
crack
"OW stop please"
crack
"please"
another blow to his arm, reddening the skin beneath on impact
His professor was cruel and wicked; his professor wasn't human. Riliphin felt his arms ache, hissing in pain
"please"
"Don't lower your arms Riliphin, its another ten if you do"
nine
ten
His arms were bleeding now, his face stained with tears. What torture had he gotten himself into?
Realising his professor was done he took the opportunity to run back to his room and lock the door, almost tripping doing so. He sat against the door arms to his chest, sobbing. Professor told him he couldn't tell anyone, that he had to be silent, that he could start to practice spells, classes start in the morning. He might have not minded getting beaten so much but getting beaten while have the other apprentices staring holes through him made it all the worse
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Months later he was still at this damned atelier, realising he were to much of a coward to actually speak up. He also realised he was homesick, desperately. He had finished the first 2 tests painfully. The scars on his arms had never went since they never had and time to heal. Pain and crowds. He never lost those fears, in fact they only became worse.
After every beating he'd receive, every single day, he would feel his vision start to blur, his legs losing energy to run away, but he would still push forward. Sometimes it would feel as if he were carrying a giant boulder on his back — maybe like the one on the Dadah range. He could feel his breath ragged, the boulder on his back truly weighing him down. He tried taking in a deep breath, but he couldn’t. Why couldn’t he breathe? It was like someone was choking him, deciding that he didn’t deserve to breathe. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, ready to jump out. What was he supposed to do? Calm down calm down cal-
No one is coming to help you Riliphin.
It was these months that he truly felt alone.
"Riliphin, I'm to take on a new apprentice shortly. I'm told the girl is your younger sister, Richehlette" He didn't deserve to say her name was the first thing he thought of, soon letting his professors words sink in no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no
She couldn't come here, she wouldn't be able to be herself,
Rili felt he was a pathetic excuse for an apprentice and worse as a brother, she couldn't see him like this
"There are certain things you know that we wouldn't want her or your parents to hear of," He bounced the whip in his hand. Rilliphin flinched at the sound, looking at his red bruising arms "Hold your tongue, and I'll reduce the lashes to two instead of ten, if you behave I'll spare your sister. She'll study without the pain" His professor warningly tested the whip against the table, then wall, just to see Riliphin jolt in fear
"Do I have your word" He snared. The blue haired boy obliged, he'd do anything to protect Richeh from this.
Soon his sister came. He was so happy to see her, standing next to her. The one thing that'll keep him going.
He could see that Richeh's eyes still had the light he lost. Her eyes weren't hollow, they glowed. She was the only one strong enough, brave enough to stand up again. To keep the things that she loved.
----
"Rili? Are you okay?" He didn't respond. Rili was allowed to leave his room at any point of time now. Following behind his professor like a pet; anything to convince Richeh that he was okay. Of course Richeh never believed it but his professor believed that Richeh believed it and that was good enough for him.
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Professor got mad at Richeh's spells, which were the only light in his darkness. The only thing that could keep him going. The only thing he had left of himself intact. This atelier drained him and soon left him to be almost completely hollow inside. He still kept the ribbons that she gave him from that day in his pillow.
Professor didn't like Richeh's small and cute seals like he did. Professor may not have physically abused Richeh like Rili but the verbal abuse was almost just as bad. Why was Richeh on the floor he asked himself cringing at the broken promise he made to himself to keep Richeh happy.
Richeh surely was the last thing from happy now. All the spells she loved, scattered on the floor, all her papers too. Unlike usual she didn't fight back. Rili was almost going to sigh a breath of relief when he realised he wouldn't be punished any extra but then realised that meant Richeh wasn't being herself. That was a big no.
"You should be pliant like your brother, Richeh, take him as example" He was the last thing Richeh should take example from. If she was like him then she isn't herself and what matters is her being herself. "Haven't you Riliphin" His professor stroked his blue hair which made Riliphin shiver
"Rili...?" Oh no Richeh's worried. "Professor gets a trillion ang-richeh points" Richeh mumbled quietly. He felt his eyes sting, rubbing them rigorously then sucking in a breath, ignoring whatever his master had told him
"RESPOND!"
"Uh- yes master" he flinched at his professor shouting and responded in a whisper.
"Don't worry Rili, I draw my small spells in the corners of the pages so professor doesn't notice. My spells are still me." He let out a small cry of relief she's still the same
"Thank you Richeh. Your brilliance is what's keeping me going thank you" He still didn't have any ang-richeh points.
As long as Richeh was okay he was okay