Chapter 16: A Witch’s Mistake

Darkness curled around Mira like a living thing, cool and weightless, carrying her through the void. She clenched her fists, bracing for whatever strange magic Hecate was using to whisk them away. Her stomach twisted as if she were plummeting through open air—then, suddenly, her feet hit solid ground.

The shadows peeled away, revealing a familiar setting.

Hecate's **sanctum.**

The grand chamber was dimly lit, the scent of aged parchment and burning herbs thick in the air. Flickering lanterns cast eerie shadows on the stone walls, and towering bookshelves loomed overhead, stuffed with tomes bound in materials Mira didn't want to guess.

She barely had time to catch her breath before Hecate spun on her heel, fixing Mira with a stare that made her insides shrivel.

*"I cannot believe you,"* Hecate said, her voice sharp and laced with exasperation.

Mira winced. *Here it comes.*

She had expected this. She had stolen Artemis' bow, nearly gotten caught, and made an absolute mess of her escape. Of course, Hecate would be furious. Maybe she'd even revoke her training, or worse, kick her out of Olympus altogether.

*"I know, I know,"* Mira said quickly, raising her hands. *"It was reckless. I should have planned better. But in my defense, Hermes was my distraction, and when I saw the traps, I panicked—"*

*"Panicked?"* Hecate's eyes flashed, but not with anger over the theft. No—her gaze was sharp in a different way, assessing, almost irritated.

*"You panicked, and what? Forgot you're a witch?"*

Mira blinked.

*"Uh…"*

*"You've been training under me for months, learning spells, crafting sigils, weaving magic into the very air—"* Hecate gestured sharply, and the shadows at her fingertips flickered. *"And yet, when faced with a challenge, you relied on an invisibility helmet like some common thief?*"

Mira opened her mouth, then closed it.

That…was not the scolding she had been expecting.

*"I—well—"*

Hecate exhaled sharply, rubbing her temple.

*"Honestly, Mira, I was almost impressed when I heard you stole Artemis' bow. Almost. But then I find out you let yourself be **trapped**? You let those **basic enchantments** stop you?"*

Mira flushed.

*"Okay, look, in my defense, those weren't just 'basic enchantments.' Artemis had some serious divine-level protections on that place."*

Hecate gave her a flat look.

*"Divine-level protections that you could have undone, if you had **bothered** to use your magic."*

Mira frowned, shifting uncomfortably.

*"I was in a hurry—"*

*"Excuses."* Hecate crossed her arms. *"Tell me, Mira, what have I taught you about traps?"*

Mira sighed. *She's not letting this go, huh?*

*"That most traps can be unraveled with the right counterspell."*

*"And did you attempt one?"*

Mira hesitated.

*"...No."*

Hecate let out an exasperated sigh.

*"Did you at least try a shadow-step to move past the detection wards?"*

*"Uh, no?"*

*"A simple **dispel sigil**?*"

Mira chewed her lip.

*"Didn't think about it."*

*"A temporary **illusory duplicate** to distract the hounds?"*

*"That was an option?"*

Hecate let out a slow breath, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose.

*"Mira."*

Mira grimaced.

"Look, I get it, okay?"* she said quickly. "I messed up. But in my defense, magic still feels kind of…fragile? Like, what if I use it and it **fails**? What if I do something wrong and end up making it worse?"

Hecate's expression shifted slightly, her sharp gaze softening just a fraction.

"Magic is a tool, Mira," she said, her voice quieter now. "It is not fragile. **You** are simply hesitating to trust yourself."

Mira looked away.

*"I don't have the best history with luck."*

*"Then stop relying on luck."*

Mira's gaze snapped back to her, surprised.

Hecate stepped closer, looking at her not with disappointment, but with something else—something heavier.

*"Listen to me, little one,"* she said. *"You are not a mortal child fumbling in the dark. You are under my tutelage. You are learning the craft of a witch. And if you refuse to **use** the knowledge I have given you, you will always be at the mercy of chance."*

Mira swallowed.

*"But magic isn't perfect—"*

*"Neither is luck."*

Hecate's words were quiet but firm.

*"Luck is **blind hope.** Magic is **control.**"*

Mira bit her lip. That was…not how she had been thinking about it.

Hecate tilted her head slightly, studying her.

*"Tell me,"* she said. *"Why do you think I took you in?"*

Mira hesitated.

*"Because…. I don't know?"*

Hecate scoffed.

*"Many ask."*

Mira frowned.

*"Then…why?"*

Hecate's gaze held hers, steady and unreadable.

*"Because I see potential. And I refuse to let potential go to waste."*

Mira's breath caught.

For a long moment, the room was silent, save for the flickering of lantern flames.

Then, Hecate waved her hand, and a **black leather-bound book** appeared, floating before Mira.

*"This,"* Hecate said, *"is your next task."*

Mira caught the book, its cover warm beneath her fingers.

*"What is it?"* she asked cautiously.

Hecate smirked.

*"A spellbook. Specifically, **your** spellbook. I expect you to start using it."*

Mira's grip tightened around it.

Hecate turned, already walking toward the arched doorway of the sanctum.

*"Oh, and one more thing,"* she called over her shoulder.

Mira straightened.

*"Yes?"*

Hecate's smirk widened.

*"Artemis knows it was you."*

Mira paled.

*"What?! How?!—"*

The goddess chuckled, disappearing into the shadows.

**[New Task Issued: Master 3 Practical Spells.]**

**Reward: ???**

Mira groaned.

*"Fantastic."*