What consequences await those who defy it? I do want to learn sorcery—when she explained it, I was so captivated that I could almost imagine myself performing an invocation. But is it worth the risk? Are my desires more important than our safety?
"Illegal... I see," a pang of disappointment in my voice. "If it''s illegal, then we shouldn''t take the risk."
Aki glanced down at the leaves beneath her feet before speaking. "It would take another seven years for me to even get a teaching license. By then, you''d be too old to learn it..." Her voice carried a touch of foreboding as she finished.
"Too old?" I didn''t understand what she meant.
"Aki, in seven years I''ll only be 22. How could I be too old to learn sorcery?" I asked in confusion.
She took a deep breath, almost as if she was preparing to deliver words that would ruin my day. "Kai''len, let me speak, and only respond once I''m done."
<i>I don''t like the sound of that.</i>
"Go ahead, I''ll listen."
Aki sighed, her eyes dropping to the ground again. "You''ve got one year. And the Golden Leaves Academy of Sorcery in Dagon won''t accept students under 18," she added.
"18 and below..." I frowned. That''s concerning.
<i>I''m 15 years old, and I only have two years? I don''t have time...</i>
"But why?" I asked, trying to understand.
Aki hesitated before answering. "Because it''s better to start teaching at a younger age, to help children get used to the feeling of mana being ingrained in their minds. The more familiar they are with it, the more spells they can learn as they get older."
She wasn''t done. She met my gaze, her expression serious. "Kai''len, 18 and older have a hard time reading words infused with mana. They often succumbed to madness."
A surge of despair hit me as I realized I only had two years left. I let out a deep sigh, feeling completely overwhelmed by what she had just told me.
I hate feeling this way—lost in despair and sadness. It makes me feel so weak. I need to find a way to handle it.
"Is that true?" I asked, struggling to accept what she had said.
Her eyes were sincere, "Everything I said is true. I wouldn''t lie to you."
<i>What should I do? Do something illegal and risk Aki? Convince my mother? I can''t think of any other options.</i>
"I''ll find a way," I said with false confidence.
"What if you can''t find a way?" Aki shot back.
"Then maybe I''ll turn to God or something, I don''t know."
She smiled softly. "So, will you promise me you won''t tell anyone that I''m teaching you? Do you want me to help you?"
I''m not that selfish. As much as I want to learn, knowing what Aki''s been through, the guilt I''d feel afterward would be unbearable. My father would punish me if I said something foolish right now.
<i>Am I willing to risk it all for the chance to learn sorcery?</i>
I respect my mother''s wishes; I just can''t dishonor them like that.
"Aki, you don''t have to. I''ll be fine," I replied.
To my surprise, she stood up and moved closer, ultimately sitting right beside me. She said, "Kai''len... the things we want most are the ones that could ruin us~"
It was tempting—her offering made it even more appealing. But at the same time, if I don''t take this opportunity now, what kind of life will I have in the future? I have interests, not dreams—and my instincts are hard to ignore. That interest is sorcery.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
But..."Aki, you''re too close."
"And?"
I looked away, eye contact feeling impossible right now. Instead, I focused on the flames burning in the kindling and timber.
Even though I''m battling whether to learn sorcery or not, Aki''s presence makes my heart race so much that I barely notice it. At the same time, my mind is overwhelmed with too many thoughts, making it hard to focus and come to a clear decision.
After a long silence, just sitting next to each other, she finally spoke. "Kai''len, remember when you saved me from the lake and told me to pursue sorcery?"
"I do remember," <i>I''ll never forget that.</i>
"You wanted to learn it so badly back then. I thought that by learning it, truly learning it, and coming back here one day to teach you and Lyn''chael, I could repay the kindness you both showed me." She confessed, her voice warm, like the heat radiating from a fire.
"Aki, you don''t owe us anything."
She met my gaze, her eyes unwavering. "I''ll be the one to decide that."
I do feel like we''re getting comfortable a little too fast, but it isn''t necessarily a bad thing.
"Suit yourself," I said back.
"Well then, let me teach you, Kai''len. I''ve gone through all that trouble, and I''m willing to risk everything for it."
<i>I want it too.</i>
"That sounds incredibly irresponsible," I said, my voice cautious. "And very dangerous."
Aki''s smirk was sharp and confident. "It is. That''s why we''ll keep it a secret—just between us. Let it ruin us."
She said it with such certainty, as though she''d already made peace with the consequences. And, in that moment, I lost to the temptation.
"Under one condition."
"What is it?" Aki asked, curious.
"Let''s keep Lyn''chael out of this," I said firmly. "I don''t want her to bear the consequences of my choices."
The Luminary Codex... forbids teachings from other codices. I doubt my sister would even consider it, given how devout she is.
"I understand, we can leave it at that," Aki replied.
<i>We finally reached an agreement.</i>
"So, when do you start teaching me? Master...?"
"Master? Seriously?" Aki''s tone was laced with mild disappointment.
"What else am I supposed to call you?" I shot back.
"Just Aki is fine. You''re my apprentice, and I''m your sorceress," she declared.
"So I''m an apprentice to a sorceress?!"
She laughed softly. "No! I''m an apprentice too, I''m not even qualified for the title of sorcerer.
"We''ll regardless you''re my teacher, and I''m ready whenever you''re ready," I replied to her.
"Good," Aki said, her expression calm. "Although, give me some time. We don''t have the codex entry for Exort or any other Element for that matter."
"How are we getting that?" I asked, curiosity piqued. "You''re going back to the academy for it?"
Aki looked at me with a confused expression. "No, no need for that. Just give me time. I''ll find a way, and I''ll let you know when we can start."
<i>I chose to trust her words.</i>
"I''ll wait, Aki."
She smiled in response, and for a moment, I wondered if I was making the right decision. Doing something illegal like this, my life definitely will change in the face of this secret between us.
The crackling of burning timber and the hiss of the flames filled the air as we sat side by side. Were we simply relaxing, or lost in quiet reflection? Either way, there was a shared comfort between us, reminiscent of the silence we shared four years ago.
Welcome back, my friend.
Her father''s death lingered in the back of my mind, I wasn''t sure if I should bring it up—should I ask and satisfy my curiosity, or should I hold back?
"Hey Aki, what happened to your father?" It was out before I could stop myself, and as soon as I said it, regret clung over my throat.
<i>I messed up.</i>
"It''s complicated." Aki''s face remains neutral. I''m surprised she doesn''t seem sad or annoyed by my question. I would''ve expected someone who just lost their father to appear more upset, but this is unexpected—even knowing how abusive her father had been.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, Kai''len. Am I weird for not feeling anything about my father''s death?"
Her question caught me off guard. It was so heavy, I couldn''t find the right words.
"It''s strange, but I think you have your reasons."
Aki''s gaze drifted into the distance, her eyes lost somewhere in the autumn-themed forest, her thoughts far away.
"He died in a fire. The house we were renting in Dagon burned down."
Had she been carrying that all along? All this time, dealing with it in silence?
"I''m sorry to hear that. My condolences."
She chuckled softly. "It''s fine. My life is better without him."
Hearing those words from a daughter about her father was jarring. I tried to understand, though, for her sake. I didn''t want to say anything that might come off as judgmental.
But Aki followed up with, "But I do wish he saw me graduate, as a proper sorceress."
"That''s much nicer to hear," I said. "I wouldn''t mind seeing you graduate one day."
Aki gasped. "What? What did you say?!"
"I meant, despite everything you and your father went through, I hope you find peace within your heart," I said, offering the most cliché thing I could think of to save myself.
"Is that so?" Aki said, giving me a suspicious side-eye.
"Well, life goes on, I suppose. So, what''s your next move?"
Aki took a moment before responding. "I plan to stay here for a while. Uncle Leon has offered to help me."
"That makes you the fourth child Uncle Leon adopted, then!" I joked.
"Didn''t he adopt more? Though... most of them... passed away," Aki said, her words slipping out with an unintended, morbid tone.
An awkward, familiar silence settled between us. "Let''s not talk about that, haha," I said, forcing an awkward laugh.
She silently agreed, her expression apologetic.
As we spent hours together, we hadn''t noticed how the sky had darkened.
"I think we should head home," I said.
"That''s unfortunate, I was enjoying my time with you," Aki replied sheepishly.
"Wait, what?" I asked, confused.
"I''m kidding. Let''s go home," she said, laughing.
We began walking back, and as we neared the edge of the forest, we saw that the fishermen on the lake were also packing up to head home. The walk was peaceful, the quiet of the evening surrounding us.
"Kai''len, the autumn season is so calming," Aki said, her voice soft.
"My sister said something identical just before our mass," I replied.
"Oh? Perhaps I''m secretly your sister?" she joked.
"Please... spare me," I pleaded with mock exasperation.
In the middle of our walk, she curiously said, "Have I ever told you that you look like my professor?"
"No? Is he handsome like me?"
Aki''s expression remained unimpressed. "Anyway, he''s tall, and you two look almost identical, except you''re shorter."
<i>That felt like daggers to my heart.</i>
"Can I know the name of this so-called amazing gentleman?" I asked sarcastically.
"His name is Orleni. He was the one who chaperoned me here."
Orleni... What an odd name. I''ll have to meet him someday and see if he''s taller.
"I bet I''m mor—"
Before I could finish, a familiar figure appeared before us.
"Mom!" I exclaimed, spotting my mother, Ana''lyn, approaching.
"Miss Imperia?!" Aki stammered, her surprise evident.
"I see you two are together," she said, her tone teasing. But why were her eyes tired, and why did she look like she had been running?
"No! Miss Imperia, this is nothing..." Aki''s words were hurried, her embarrassment clear through her demeanor as she waved her hands in front of her, denying it shyly.
"Mom, what are you doing here?" I asked. We only went to mass today; why would she be exhausted?
Ana''lyn sighed, clearly trying to mask something. "I was looking for you two. It''s getting late, and I could use your help with dinner."
I had a nagging suspicion that her unexpected arrival was hiding something she wasn''t sharing.
"Is something wrong, Mom?" I pressed, concern evident in my voice.
She glanced at me, then shifted her gaze to Aki. "Nothing in particular," she replied.
Her eyes lingered on Aki for just a moment too long before she added, "Let''s hurry up and go home."
Aki and I exchanged looks, silently acknowledging the tension beneath my mother''s words.
We didn''t have all the answers, but her serious tone made it clear that something was off.
Chapter End.