Emily's POV

Two weeks passed by since Emily went out to Amore with the others.

During this time, she has been outside the house and taken around the capital every now and then. This place was finally starting to feel like home to her now.

One day, while she was engrossed in a book in the living room, Thanodr unexpectedly summoned her to the classroom.

"Emily, there's something I'd like to discuss with you." Thandor spoke, his tone serious but his warm smile putting Emily at ease.

"I'm listening."

"Emily, you see, it's been a bit now since you joined Aludell, so I think now is the right time to bring this up." Thandor paused for a second before he continued. "About your magic..."

Emily felt a sinking sensation in her heart.

"I think you should start practicing with it. You control water, correct? Have you used your powers since they awakened?" Thanodr asked.

"N-No, I haven't used them. I didn't even attempt it." Emily admitted, guilt and shame weighing on her.

I knew a conversation like this might happen one day, but I was really hoping it wouldn't...

"Hmmm, I thought as much. I didn't want to push you when you first joined Aludell, but Emily as a member of this group, it is very important you are able to control your powers. When his majesty the King gives us missions, we need to use said powers after all." Thandor explained.

"Oh..." Emily responded, visibly uncomfortable.

"I'm uncertain when our next mission will be, and I don't anticipate you'll be able to do much initially, considering how new you are to all of this. However, I do expect you to put more effort into practicing with your magic. Can you do that for me?" Thandor asked, a smile still gracing his face. He was being a bit forceful without coming across as demanding or imposing.

"A-Alright, I'll try to practice from now on. But how do I go about that?" Emily inquired. "I'm not sure if I'll know how to use my magic."

"Emily, every witch and their magic is different. As I don't control water such as you, I fear I can't help you much there. You'll need to figure out how to use and learn to control your magic on your own." Thandor explained, which disappointed Emily. He noticed the concerned look on her face.

"Emily, don't worry about it. Start small. As you can control water, why not fill a bucket with water and see if you can control it or not? Just do a little of that everyday and I'm sure you'll have better control of your magic by no time." Thandor said, hoping to encourage Emily.

----------------------------------------

I knew a conversation like that might happen one day, but I was really hoping it wouldn't. I knew I couldn't spend the rest of my days here ignoring the fact that I'm a....witch.

Accepting herself as a witch was still a struggle for Emily. She preferred not to dwell on magic or the fact that she could control water. Part of her wished to pretend that this aspect of herself didn't exist. Unprepared to embrace her identity as a witch, how was she supposed to start using her powers as one? Emily wasn't sure, but she knew she shouldn't let Thandor down after everything he had done for her. He saved her life after all.

Thandor said something about filling a bucket with water and practicing...I wonder where I can find one?

Emily went to the kitchen to search for said bucket, but it was to no avail.

Suddenly, Nicole entered the kitchen, appearing surprised to find Emily there.

"Oh, Emily! Do you need something?" Nicole inquired, noting that Emily seemed engrossed in something.

"No, well, yes actually...I'm looking for a bucket. Do you know where I can find one?" Emily spoke, not sure how to explain herself.

It has been two weeks since Nicole opened up to Emily at Amore. During the first few days after that day, Emily found it awkward to be around Nicole. She wasn't sure what to do with what Nicole told her. Nicole on the other hand continued to treat her the same, being kind as always.

A part of Emily harbored a curiosity to delve deeper into Nicole's disclosure, to understand the meaning behind her statement about killing the boy she loves. However, every time Emily remembered the sorrowful expression on Nicole's face that day in Amore, she opted not to broach the subject. Emily believed that if Nicole wanted to share more, she would.

Whatever happened in Nicole's past, Emily decided to go back to treating her the same way she did before. It also seemed like something other members of Aludell did not know about, so Emily felt touched in a way Nicole trusted her to tell her that.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"A...bucket? Why do you need one?" Nicole asked, her curiosity tinged with puzzlement.

"You see...." Emily quickly explained how she wants to try and practice using her magic.

"Ohhh, right. You do control water. That makes sense. I think all the buckets we have are in the training room right now." Nicole answered Emily's earlier question.

The training room...I suppose it's about time I went in there.

"Oh right, I was thinking of making Karl a small snack. Do you want some, Emily?" Nicole asked, remembering the reason she came into the kitchen in the first place.

"N-No thank you! I really should practice using my magic for now."

And with that, Emily left the kitchen and was now on her way to the training room.

----------------------------------------

Emily stood in front of the training room door, feeling hesitant to open it.

Emily has now spent enough time in Aludell to realize how Nicole and Karl never really go in there, while Liam and Jaxon go almost everyday. Part of her always wondered why is that. Did that mean Nicole and Karl have complete control over their magic? Emily wasn't sure, but she never asked as she did not want to talk about anything magic related.

As she stood there in front of the door, she heard sounds from behind it.

"Jaxon! Are you okay?!" Liam's worried voice pierced through the door.

Did something happen?!

Emily quickly opened the door and ran in, feeling concerned.

She wasn't sure what to expect, but the sight that greeted her was nothing short of shocking. She found Liam kneeling beside a naked and wet Jaxon, the younger boy resembling someone who had been unceremoniously tossed into a river. Both boys turned to stare at Emily, clearly taken aback by her unexpected arrival.

"W-What?!?" Emily gasped, shocked. She quickly turned her head the other direction, feeling embarrassed. She had never seen a boy naked before, and this was most certainty not how she imagined her first time seeing one would be.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!?!" Jaxon snapped. Emily couldn't see him now but she felt she could imagine his angry face in her mind.

"I-I'm sorry! I heard shouting, and I thought something terrible had happened!!" Emily stammered, desperately attempting to justify her intrusion.

"Oh, something wrong DID happen, and that was YOU COMING IN HERE!" Jaxon's outburst conveyed a mix of anger and embarrassment.

Wait, don't tell me! Is this what I think it is?! I've always heard rumors back in Saalnia how there are boys who like other boys, but I always thought that was a silly legend! Do they actually exist?! How does that even work? I don''t understand it at all!

Meanwhile, Liam struggled to suppress his laughter, finding the situation more amusing than alarming.

Once Jaxon was clothed, Emily finally dared to face him and Liam.

"I'm...I'm sorry!" She apologized. Her face was as red as a tomato. More red than Nicole's hair.

"I don't accept your apology!" Jaxon lashed out, his face also red, though from anger or embarrassment Emily wasn't sure.

"Jaxon, she didn't know..." Liam interjected, attempting to pacify his friend.

"I don't care!"

"I truly apologize....I didn't know you two were close like that. I should have knocked..." Emily's remorse was evident in her tone and expression.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Jaxon asked, unsure what the girl meant by the way she worded things.

"I mean....you two are lovers, right? I never thought I'd meet a boy who likes oth-"

"HAHAHAHAHA!!" Liam erupted into laughter, while Jaxon's rage intensified, somehow surpassing its previous level.

"WHAT IN ARLIN'S NAME ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!!?!!?" Jaxon exploded.

"....Oh, was that not it? You two aren't....."

"WE AREN'T!" Jaxon bellowed, his frustration reaching new heights.

"Oh, I see....My bad." Emily let out, feeling stupid for jumping into conclusions.

"Why would you even ASSUME such thing?!" Jaxon asked, though it sounded less like a question and more like him calling Emily stupid.

"Well....you were naked, and Liam was so close to you so I thought he was going to kis-"

"WE WERE TRAINING! IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT!!" Jaxon lashed out, trying to explain the situation even in all the anger he felt.

"Oh? I don't understand..." Emily let out, not sure how Jaxon being naked had anything to do with training.

Liam forced himself to stop laughing and looked at Emily. She made eye contact with him for a second and quickly looked back at Jaxon again. Even looking at Jaxon who is angry with her was easier than looking at Liam.

"We should explain, Jaxon. It's kind of our fault for never telling her." Liam said, his gaze fixed on his infuriated friend, who remained silent.

"You see, Emily, Jaxon here controls fire. He can make fire appear out of his left hand. It's a powerful ability, but it's very hard to control, as fire is a wild thing. Jaxon still hasn't mastered its control yet." Liam began to explain.

So Jaxon can use fire magic? And he can summon fire from his left hand? T-That's scary. Is that why he always wore a glove on his left hand? Wait a second, his body was...

Emily didn't pay much attention to it at first, from the embarrassment and all, but she remembered seeing what looked like burn marks on Jaxon's body when she saw him naked for a second there.

Were those burn marks from his magic? How awful.

" The reason Jaxon takes off his clothes is so if things went wrong and somehow he got fire near his body, his clothes won't catch fire. As for the reason I'm here....I'm here to make sure he doesn't get burned basically."

"You can do that?" Emily asked, not fully understanding the last part.

"Yes. I can control water, just like you. If I ever saw Jaxon here or any part of the training room in jeopardy of getting burned, I quickly step in and help with my magic. It's training for us both in a way. That must have been the reason behind the shouting you heard." Liam concluded his explanation.

Wait, Liam can also control water? Just like I do?

He has the face of Jack, the boy she loved.

He is the same age as Emilio, her older brother.

And he can control water, just like her.

...

It frustrated Emily in ways she couldn't explain, not even to herself. She knows he has done no wrong, but she couldn't stand being around him at this moment.

"I see...." Emily uttered, unwilling to delve further into the conversation.

"Why were you near the training room anyway?" Jaxon asked, changing the subject.

"I was looking for a bucket. I was hoping to practice using my magic."

"Oh, sorry. I make use of all the buckets in the house while I'm training with Jaxon here. Unlike him, I can't make water appear out of nothing, so I need a water source." Liam spoke, feeling a little guilty.

"Can I borrow one?" Emily asked.

I just want to take one and get away from here. Away from him.

"Sure of course. Though considering we both can control water, do you want me to help you practice?" Liam offered.

Emily had no idea how to respond.