I

“There have been more and more sightings of this… Witch. Although the Knights have dispatched several of their men to deal with it, they have gone missing. That is why the Knights have approached us.”

“What is this… Witch?” One of the women seated at the round oak table leaned in, interest sparking in her eyes, dark blue, almost black, as the sky during midnight. She had the grey hair of the old mages and wore the red robes of the Higher Circle.

“We do not know if she is a renegade or simply someone born onto magic and never discovered,” the Elder’s voice was a blunt sword, not sharpened for years. Once the drawer of blood, now he was nothing more than a relic. The other mages had no need for spells to understand the Elder long passed the graces of the gods. He shall return soon to their realm.

It upset them. They should tend to their Elder, not deal with the affairs of the Knights.

“Wildling Witch is what the common people call her in stories. Yu-in,” the woman waiting by the door touched her chest near her heart, nodding her head at the Elder. “Please bring Chungha to me after the meeting.”

*

Sooyoung could feel the tip of her gloved fingers heating up, the flame alive across her palm, rising stronger and stronger the longer she focused on its shape and strength. The other apprentices watched her in awe, all but the teacher keeping a step further away from her than recommended. Sooyoung could feel the muscles of yearning to stretch but she mustered the rest of her concentration into mirroring the expression of her mentor - grave and firm.

“That’s enough,” the woman said in an even tone.

In the very next moment, Sooyoung’s fingers curled and the flame dissipated into air, no smoke or scent. Finally, she allowed herself to smile. After countless of nights spent reading books upon books on theory, and practicing under the blanket - resulting in several burnt holes on said blanket - her efforts drew the approval of her idol, none other than the mage Chungha.

“How was it?” Sooyoung whispered to her friend once she rejoined the apprentices.

Her friend patted her back. “Chungha looks impressed, so good job. I bet you’ll be taking the rite any time soon.”

Sooyoung sighed, flipping her hair back. “What can I say, I am a natural.”

The two girls slouched and giggled.

Chungha smiled - she was once like that too.

“Chungha?” The woman turned to the side at the sound of her name. The Elder’s assistant, Yu-in, was walking in her direction. Chungha greeted her with the formal gesture of her status, hand to the heart and two fingers to her forehead. “The Elder wishes to see you.”

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