Chapter 2

Lily sat quietly outside the orphanage director's office, barely audible whispers from Jenny and the director seeping through the door. She fidgeted with her fingers, then touched her stomach where the strange symbol had appeared; the glow was gone. Her gaze dropped to her plain white dress, now stained with blood, and her face flushed with embarrassment. She panicked at a noise coming from the door to the hall, but when she looked, there was no one there, and she let out a sigh of relief.

Jenny finally emerged from the office. "Okay, Lily, let's hurry. We need to get to the wizard and come back before evening," said Jenny.

"B-but shouldn't I change my clothes?" Lily asked, avoiding eye contact.

"Sorry, Lily, but we need to go now. Don't worry, you don't need to be embarrassed. It just means you're becoming a woman. You should be proud of it!" Jenny giggled, grabbed Lily by the hand, and led her out.

As they passed others on their way out of the orphanage, Lily's eyes were fixed on her feet as she unsuccessfully tried to cover the stain with her free hand. It took them a couple of hours to arrive at a house on a small hill east of the orphanage. The towel Jenny had placed inside Lily's underwear was soaked, and blood was starting to spill onto the ground. Tears flowed from Lily's eyes, but she remained quiet.

"You did great hanging in there, Lily. We're here now," Jenny said, wiping Lily's tears and smiling at her. Lily stopped crying but looked down without replying.

The house was a modest, rustic cottage with a thatched roof. Jenny took out a key from a pocket in her dress and opened the wooden door. As the door creaked open, Jenny stepped aside, allowing Lily to enter first. The interior of the house was dimly lit, with only a few candles and a small window illuminating the space. The air was thick with the scent of old books and herbs. Lily's eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness, and she saw the wizard standing in the corner of the room, surrounded by shelves of dusty tomes and various strange artifacts.

The wizard was stirring a bubbling cauldron with a long wooden spoon besides the window, his eyes fixed intently on the mixture. He was dressed in a long, flowing robe with intricate embroidery, but it was casual, almost sloppy, as if he had just thrown it on. A pointed hat sat atop his wild, grey hair, and his beard was long and bushy. Lily noticed that his eyes gleamed with excitement as he worked, and his hands moved with a flourish, as if he were conducting an orchestra.

As they entered, the wizard looked up, his eyes instantly locking onto Jenny's chest. "Ah, Jenny, my dear, you're as lovely as ever," he said, getting closer to Jenny with his hands in the air, ready to grab. Jenny rolled her eyes and gestured towards Lily, making the wizard stop when he noticed her. He approached Lily, and she noticed a diagram on the wall behind him detailing the "perfect" female form. His gaze made Lily shiver.

"This one is too young for my tastes, but such beautiful eyes and that pink hair is... cute, she has potential, bring her back when she comes of age" he finally said. Jenny sighed.

"She is an orphan from where I work. She just manifested a magic symbol," Jenny explained. The wizard's expression changed to one of serious surprise.

"A magic symbol, you say? That's quite hard to believe. It's been years since a female manifested a symbol. Where is it?" he asked, playing with his beard. Lily looked at Jenny with pleading eyes.

"Sorry, Lily, we need to show him," Jenny said. She then crouched to lift Lily's dress. Lily averted her face and shut her eyes. The wizard stared intently.

"So it is true," the wizard said, completely serious now. "Why don't you two sit down?" They complied and sat beside the cauldron. Lily's face contorted at the smell coming from it. The wizard went to another room and came back with a large, old-looking book.

"Lily, what do you know about magic?" the wizard asked. Lily shook her head.

"Yes, I don't suppose they teach much at that establishment where you are raised," he continued.

"Let me teach you the basics of what's happening to you" he said as he opened the book.