Fears

I stand in silence for a while, losing track of time before Mago interrupts, "Do you want to hear just how scary Bolin and his little lackey are?" I roll my eyes with a sigh before asking, "Are they any scarier than me?"

Mago is silent for a moment before saying, "Yes, actually they are. You still have a soft side but those two are..." I cut him off by saying, "To be honest, they have every right to be the way they are. Each one of us is carved from our experiences, they're no different."

Mago scoffs at me asking, "So it's okay to be murderous psycho because you grew up in a shitty reality!?" I groan, not wanting to argue about this. I sigh as I say, "Murderous psycho is going a bit far and you know it. I told you not to spy on them."

Mago immediately argues, "You said not to spy on him, not them! I wasn't spying on Bolin; I was spying on Haun... Bolin just happened to be there as well." I rub my temples as I bite out, "Mago, stop. I will let you know if I want you to spy on them. I have more important things to worry about right now."

Mago sputters as he mocks, "More important things to worry about right now!? Like what?? I'd say this was pretty important especially if you're gonna be all lovey-dovey with the man!" I speak through my teeth in a hushed tone as I snap, "While you were away playing detective, I found out I'm adopted! That wouldn't be that big of a deal in itself, but I was told that my mother was..."

My words get stuck in my throat, unable to finish the sentence. Mago is silent for a moment before asking, "Wait, what? Adopted? I never heard your grandfather speaking about that!" I sigh saying, "Just because you didn't catch them talking about it doesn't mean it didn't happen."

Mago backtracks as he asks, "Who told you this? And who are they saying is your mother?" I groan as I look up, allowing the snow to fall on my cheeks as I mumble, "I accidentally stumbled into a place called Magia. There... a woman told me about it."

Mago remains silent before asking, "Buuuut?? What else aren't you saying?" I remain silent, not wanting to say it. It felt like if I said it out loud, it would make it true. So instead, I say, "But it doesn't matter. I need to check to see if it's true because if it is, I will need to do a few things in order to protect myself."

Mago groans in annoyance as he snaps, "Why keep it a secret!? Just tell me! You're making it sound so much worse by being mysterious about it!" I look back down as I say, "I don't want to say her name Mago. I feel like I would be attracting unwanted attention by doing so."

I can literally feel Mago throwing a fit like a child, but I ignore him as I lift my hand. I summon my magic as I try to build another portal. This time it opens up into another place with white marble pillars wrapped in golden vines. I quickly close it and step back with a pensive look on my face."

I summon the old portal and crush it. I watch it collapse as it blows the freshly fallen snow all around me. As soon as it's gone, I shake out my hands and try again. I close my eyes, breathing deeply as I envision my old room. Everything down to the smell.

I push my magic into it and when I open my eyes, I nearly cry. It was my old room! I step up to the portal but pause before stepping through. I turn back, thinking about Bolin but I know he's busy. I have no idea how long he'll be gone this time, and this is something I need to take care of as soon as possible.

I turn back to the portal and step through. Magic washes over me as I step into a very familiar room. I reach back, quickly closing the portal before looking around my room. Nothing was moved. Nothing was touched. It was like the whole room was a time capsule.

Mago yells out, "Yes!!! Hahaha!! We're back!! You did it, Lyra!!" I walk over to my bed and fall face forward. The familiar smell and soft bed have my throat tightening. My eyes burn as I bury my face into my pillows, wishing everything else would disappear for a little bit.

Before I realize it, I've drifted off into a fitful sleep.

My eyes flutter open as my heart races. I'm confused by my surroundings for a moment before I remember coming back. I sigh as I slowly sit up, running my hand through my hair as I look around the dark room. I don't know what I was dreaming about, but it felt like a nightmare.

I must have fallen asleep for a few hours. When I think about taking a shower, I smile. I quickly stand up, stripping out of my clothes as I go. I walk into my bathroom and turn the shower on. I stick my hand under the water and only after a few moments, I have hot water.

My smile grows as I step into the shower. I lift my face, letting the water wash away everything as I enjoy the moment of modernized convenience. I use my shampoo and conditioner, my favorite body wash and scrub. I was in heaven.

After getting out, I use my magic to dry myself before applying all my cosmetic potions. My skin drinks it in, loving every moment. I grab my clothes, running my hand over the familiar soft leather outfit.

I slip on my underwear that I've missed and brush my hair with an actual brush. I felt like me! Wrapped in all this familiar comfort, I find myself growing sad. Even though I technically had everything, I was still missing something. That something was in another world.

I lace up my black boots and step up to my front door. I push my magic into it and when I open the door, I'm greeted with a familiar hallway. I step in, allowing the door and portal behind me to close as I head straight for the other portal.

As soon as I open the new portal, I'm greeted by a soft but bright light. Floating candles hang in the air in the large but empty room. I spare no time in heading straight for the Council. As I pass by other Witches, they stop to gawk at me while whispering amongst themselves, but I ignore it all.

As soon as I reach the council room, I reach out and grab the handle. I pause, thinking about the shit pot I'm about to stir but screw it. Stirring the shit pot is something I seem to be really good at. I turn the doorknob and push the door open.

The arguing inside instantly comes to a stop as everyone turns to see me walking in. A few people suck in while a few others start whispering. Vanir pushes past everyone and calls out, "Lyra? You did it! You really did it!"

I give him a knowing smile as I say, "Of course I did. I can't let you have all the fun now, can I?" He gives me a large warm smile with his eyes full of emotions. I carefully observe the others, but they don't give anything away. That's fine, this just makes things more interesting.

Now it's time to clean house. If I want a peaceful life, I need to make sure I get rid of all the problematic individuals first. Plus, Vanir and I can speak in private and not have to worry about anyone listening in on us.