Chapter 5: The Magic Path

 Hayley shifted uncomfortably. Every trace of uncertainty lay bare before the scrutinizing clerk.

"Why so many questions?" Hayley pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, feeling shy. She hated confrontation, and questioning motives felt like stepping into treacherous waters.

"Because once you embark on the path of magic, there will be no turning back. You'll face irreversible transformation. You'll uncover truths that defy common sense and face dangers unseen by most. Anyone who guides you onto it without precautions is either reckless or seeks your harm."

Hayley nodded, barely grasping the gravity of her words.

"Can you help me? I need to learn, even if I don't want to."

"Of course. I have introductory books on magic. And for the exercises to cultivate your Orbis Vitae, we'll need to assess your attributes. Attributes determine the type of magic best suited to you—there are elemental, mind, physical, or modification types of magic. While you can choose, aligning with your inherent strengths yields the best results."

"Okay," Hayley murmured, her mind swirling as the clerk continued.

The clerk smiled reassuringly, leading Hayley to a room at the rear of the shop. The room was sparse, devoid of adornments. Only a solitary crystal ball rested on a wooden table.

"Here, we'll test your attributes. Place your hand on the crystal ball."

Hayley hesitated, skepticism creeping in. Yet, with no alternative, she complied. As her hand made contact, rays of white and yellow lights flooded the room. Though their significance eluded her, they exuded a comforting warmth.

Turning to the clerk for explanation, Hayley found the woman astonished.

"Well, well, well," the clerk finally uttered, eyeing Hayley appraisingly.

Withdrawing her hand, Hayley held it close to her chest, wary of the clerk's tone.

"Don't be alarmed. You're a De Varenne, aren't you?"

Uncertain how to respond, Hayley's gaze flickered towards the door, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble. Sensing her unease, the clerk introduced herself.

"I'm Medina Domedia. Also, a witch."

Startled, Hayley shook her hand with hesitation. "Hayley Daniels."

"Nice to finally meet you, Hayley Daniels."

"Yeah, nice to meet you," Hayley replied, her eyes darting around the room. "Wait! Finally? What do you mean?"

"You're very famous in our community. I will pass the bathroom jokes." She smirked before getting serious again," Your attributes are time and life. The former is a rarity in our country, and the latter—well, the latter is exceedingly rare."

Hayley blushed. It felt weird being so transparent. Medina knew her family. Even how the demon got into her house seemed clear to her.

"How?" Hayley asked shakily.

"Only De Varennes can have those attributes. And like I said, you're famous. Information about you gets around." She said matter-of-factly.

Hayley felt perplexed. Was she a celebrity of sorts?

Returning to the shop, Medina handed her the books tailored to her attributes.

"Thank you," Hayley said.

"May I ask a question?" Medina interjected before Hayley left.

"Yeah," Hayley agreed tentatively. This trip to the magic shop had brought her way more than she bargained for.

"As a De Varenne, why do you need these books?"

The question stumped Hayley. Her sister told her she needed those kind of books. She felt that saying so would be embarrassing, so she evaded.

"I'm sorry. My sister

is waiting for me. Thanks again for your help."

As she hurried out, she bumped into a young woman with long black hair coming inside the store.

"Sorry." She apologized. The woman stared back at her with disdain, making her feel embarrassed.

"Lucia Korkis, long time no see. How have you been?" Medina pulled the young woman's attention away from her.

Hayley cast Medina a grateful smile and rushed out of the shop.

Out on the street, frustration bubbled inside as Hayley discovered her sister was gone. She didn't even leave a message. Rory just took the car and left her. She could understand if she had taken too much time in the shop. However, it had been only ten minutes since they separated. She took her phone and called her sister.

"Where the hell are you?" Hayley questioned as soon as Aurora answered.

"I'm in the car, on my way home," Rory said in a relaxed tone despite Hayley's anger.

Hayley seethed. She became red in the face, her breathing ragged, and her body shook with the violent emotions she tried to suppress. Hayley tried taking deep breaths to calm down. She wanted to swear, to accuse her sister. The words were hard to come.

"If you've got nothing to say, I'm going to hang up..." Hayley looked at the phone in disbelief. Her mouth opened and closed. Words still refused to come. When she finally regained her ability to talk, Rory hung up.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She felt frustration like never before filling her heart. In the space of a few minutes, she experienced a roller coaster of emotions.

First, she felt proud for getting the books to grow her magic. Embarrassment of bumping into that woman followed, and then she felt the anger of being abandoned by her sister.

She wanted to sob, to let out all the negative emotions she felt. She stopped herself; she was on a street with people around her. She wished to retain her last dignity. She turned and faced a wall, the phone still close to her ear.

She pretended to still be on the phone while surreptitiously wiping the few out-of-control teardrops. She took deep breaths once again. She closed her eyes while mumbling that everything was okay, that she was strong, that she could get over anything. Aurora had no intention to hurt her.

'She was the oldest, not the smartest, nor the strongest; she shouldn't add trouble to Rory.' This mantra appeared once again in her mind.

It seemed to work as she finally put her phone in her bag and turned around to face the street again. Her eyes landed on the cake shop. Needing solace, she went inside and ordered several small cakes. She sat at one of the tables to enjoy her treats.

While eating, discomfort grew as she felt eyes on her. She looked around and found the source. Two men stared at her. Their aim was unknown, and she had no interest in it. The small cakes lost their deliciousness. Retrieving her treats, she hurried out, her sense of safety compromised.