With a calm breath Ravina was able to take a hold of herself once again. A thin smile pulled at her lips as she felt silly feeling sorry for herself. She used her sleeve to wipe the water from her eyes, the coarse linen scratching at her skin. With a welcome breath of the cold air she looked around the market anew. Watching the people mill around was quite the spectacle.

There were more than the villagers in the market. Rugged travelers milled around, preparing to move on to their next destination or sleep the night, welcome for an actual bed. There were a few who dressed like villagers but had a blade strapped to their waist. There was even one who looked like a knight from a story book, currently flirting with some girls by the fountain. People watching did raise Ravina’s spirits quite a bit. Especially the cheesy lines of the knightly man, his voice raised enough for the echo’s to be caught by the young girl. Then just when she was ready to return home she spotted a strange, yet familiar man.

Cloaked in a robe of black and wearing a purple sash, he tutted around the market, holding a massive staff of ash. A faint glow came from within the wooden flare at the top. Something about it was familiar. Like a memory long forgotten… no, not like a memory. It was old.

Shutting her eyes at the pain in her head she was brought back in her mind. Taking her back to a time when her faith in her father was as unshaken as a mountain. There he was, a man dressed in similar fashion to the dark figure before her now - a wizard, cloaked in black who had loomed ominously in their meager living area.

He had been a towering specter, his very presence commanding an unsettling awe. She recalled the gleam of peculiarity in his eyes when he spoke. But there was more, far more. What did he say… that’s right. He wanted to buy her.

Something about her being perfect for them… right. At the time she still looked up to her father, happy that he would protect her from the scary man… back then, that was enough for her. Back then their mother was still alive…

He did offer a lot of coin, what was it 500? With 500 coins they could easily survive until, not just Reed but also Asher started working. They could even pay off their debts. The twins would have a chance at marriage… with 500 coins… and one less mouth to feed… Ravina gnawed at her thumb.

An invisible force seemed to pull her towards him, before even she, herself was aware of it. Her heart fluttered with a mixture of trepidation and resolve, a strange tune playing the beat of her drumming heart. She drowned out the uneasiness, steeling herself as she approached the wizard.

"Excuse me," she began, her voice wavering ever so slightly. The words didn't flow out as easily as she had imagined they would.

His grey eyes, hazy yet piercing, turned towards her, an eyebrow arching in curiosity. "Oh?" Recognition flickered in his gaze as he took her in. Ravina felt a shiver run down her spine under his scrutiny. For a moment she feared he would remember her. But how could he be the same man all those years ago?

Perhaps sensing her discomfort the old man spoke, flashing her an affable smile. "Apologies for startling you," His gaze seemed to wander, unfocused, around them before settling back on her. "A real shame," he muttered, his words directed more towards himself than her. Clearing his throat, he posed a question. "What can I do for you, young miss?"

"My father... Once upon a time, he was visited by a mage," she fabricated, weaving a thin line between truth and lie to mollify her anxiety. "The mage wanted me, but my father... he refused." She inwardly chastised herself for her ill-conceived plan, her words seeming clumsy and insubstantial. Was she so unaware of what she wanted that she couldn’t even form a simple sentence?

The wizard nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that makes sense. You have an abundance of mana, after all. With the right guidance, you could have become a formidable mage." His words took Ravina aback. Could she have been great?

"So... it's too late for me now?" How fitting.

A melancholic shake of his head was his reply. "I'm afraid once a person turns 15, their potential as a mage diminishes significantly. The blue blood cells, which carry mana throughout the body, lose any potential for growth."

"Once I turn... 15?"

"Indeed."

"But I'm only 12."

The wizard's eyes widened in surprise. The cruel trials of Ravina's life had aged her prematurely. Stress lines and a gaunt face, a product of poor nutrition, painted a picture of someone much older than her years. It was an image that suggested her time for learning had passed.

“12…” he echoed, incredulity etched in his voice. He looked her over again, trying to reconcile the woman he perceived with the girl standing before him. She was quite small… there may be some truth to her words after all. “Truly?” he finally asked.

A knot of anxiety coiled in her stomach as she nodded, “Y-yes.” She swallowed hard before posing her next question. “Could I… learn magic?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Her mind danced with the possibilities. Mages earned gold coins, not the meager copper she was accustomed to. Silver was their minimum currency. With that kind of income, they could refurbish their house, afford quality supplies. The twins could choose their own paths, Reed could get his coveted bow. Her heart fluttered wildly at the dream now that the poison of hope was warming her heart.

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“Yes, you can,” the wizard, his voice quiet, his words slow, as if tasting each one before letting it go. “It is possible. With your abundance of mana, even starting at this age, you could achieve greatness… we could definitely use someone like you…”

“So there's a chance?” Ravina exclaimed, her eyes lighting up, a childlike joy washing over her face. Something that had been buried for a long time. The eyes of the old wizard widened. Seeing her now it was impossible to see anything other than a young child. Yes, she was still young enough to learn magic. He smiled within his heart.

"However, the cost of training is quite steep," he cautioned.

His words felt like a splash of cold water, extinguishing her fleeting joy. Ravina chastised herself for daring to hope. “I see,” she murmured, her voice barely audible, her heart heavy with disappointment.

"Yes..." he trailed off, a slightly sinister gleam flickering in his eyes. Ravina, too absorbed in her own despondency, didn't notice. "I could, however, offer to sponsor you."

"Sponsor?" She echoed the unfamiliar term, her mind struggling to stir any glimmer of hope.

"Yes, I can cover the cost of your education, but it comes with a condition," he continued, his tone seeming to grow darker. Perhaps it was just Ravina's imagination, as her mood fluctuated with the unexpected twists and turns of their conversation.

"And what would that be?" She asked, her voice trembling. She thought she knew what was coming – after all, the man had offered to buy her once before. Slavery wasn't unheard of in her village; children were often sold to settle debts. Her father deserved credit for keeping the family together despite their dire circumstances.

His response, however, took her aback. “Nothing too demanding. I merely require some assistance with a task. Afterward, once you've become a mage, I would ask that you enter into my apprenticeship," he explained, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You would be a tremendous asset to my tower," he added, his laughter echoing softly around them causing more than a few people to stare at the odd pairing.

A shiver ran down her spine as she digested his words. He would sponsor her and all he wanted in return was her apprenticeship? Many mages aspired to such a position, often voicing their dissatisfaction over the difficulty of finding the right master. She always found their complaints irksome, their problems trivial compared to her own struggles.

"Yes, let's do it, I'll take you with me when I leave. I'll explain everything then," he said, seemingly lost in thought, nodding at his own words as if reaching some sort of resolution.

"I…” she started but caught the rest of her words in her throat. An uncomfortable truth gripping at her heart. “I can't leave," Ravina muttered, a cocktail of confusing emotions brewing within her. She was their caretaker, their manager. Becoming a mage would solve everything, but how long would it take? They wouldn't survive a week without her. She had run to him without thinking, desperation pushing her forward. Was she worth anything to him, a penniless girl from the hinterlands?

"Why not?" the wizard asked, a touch of impatience creasing his forehead. She averted her gaze.

"We don't have enough money," she confessed, clenching her fists. "I can't just abandon them. They need me." A simmering anger bubbled within her, a novel sensation. She realized, with a bitter twist in her stomach, that she resented them. All of them.

Finn, her inept father, who had allowed his foolishness to ruin their home. Was he the only one allowed to mourn their mother? Why did she have to clean up his mess? He was supposed to be the responsible one.

Reed, her unendingly energetic brother, who never stopped begging for a bow. Always obsessed with hunting. Why couldn't he grow up? She was so much younger when she had to step up, taking the reins when their father mindlessly wasted their last coin on drink. Shouldn't he remember those desperate days?

Asher, the shadow trailing Reed, worshiping his older brother while acting as his little accomplice. He would sneak coins from their already sparse purse, all to fund Reed's impractical ambition. She had rebuked him time and time again.

Then there were the twins, Rose and Lily, Finn's favorite children. Those pampered little girls who still lived in blissful innocence. Seeing their father through rose-tinted glasses. The exhausting lengths she went to maintain their innocence, to shield them from the reality she was forced to face.

All of them swiftly disregarded her sacrifices as soon as Finn found a moment's sobriety. The unbearable tasks she had to undertake. She was still a child too, wasn't she? Couldn't she also preserve her innocence? But no… they needed someone responsible. Finn was no longer capable of that.

"I... I'm sorry," Ravina mumbled, her voice choked with the weight of her words. She began to retreat, only to be halted by the abrupt landing of an ashen staff in her path.

"Wait," the wizard commanded, rummaging in the deep pockets of his robe. From the fabric's depths, he produced a bulging pouch, which he extended towards her.

Numbly, Ravina accepted it, suppressing the excited throb of her heart as the bag's heft registered. Her eyes widened as she opened the bag, the glint of silver intermingled with copper coins mesmerizing her.

"That should cover your family's needs for at least a year, I think," he declared nonchalantly.

A year? The sheer amount could sustain them for two, even considering just the silver coins she had spotted.

"But... I don't..." she stammered, struggling to reconcile the tangible weight in her hand with the wizard's casual generosity.

He merely waved away her protests. "It's no bother. Consider it a preliminary investment."

An icy chill swept over her. This was nothing to him? What exactly was all her suffering for then? Two years spent pulling her father out of his self-destructive spiral, followed by three more years scrabbling to keep her family alive.

"I understand," she responded, her voice now a hollow echo of her earlier fervor. Numb to further excitement. Unable to process the day anymore.

"I'm departing tomorrow. I trust you'll be ready by morning for me to collect you?" he queried.

Her gaze drifted towards the hill where her humble, crumbling home sat, dwarfed by its better-kept neighbors.

"Yes," she muttered almost to herself. "They'll manage with this."

"Excellent! I'll see you then. I must get going now," he announced, promptly turning on his heel and leaving her standing there, staring down at the small fortune in her hands.

Slowly the gears of her brain began to turn and she realized what exactly just happened. With this, their debt was paid and they could survive. She was free.

Free…

"It's better this way... they can do so much more with these coins than I ever could." Yet, despite the practicality of her decision, a melancholic wave washed over her.