I couldn't believe I forgot that Anne was coming over today. It's been in the talks since the night when we went out to eat and met up again. My parents had taken a liking to Mr. Reynolds, and my mother chastised me for referring to him by his first name and saying that elders should always be referred to by their last names. I was a little surprised by this, especially when the other adults, aside from Isa, kept referring to him as "elder." Oscar looked older, for sure, but not by much. Whereas my parents, if I had to guess in human years, looked to be in their early to mid-twenties, Oscar looked no older than a forty-year-old man.

That's why my jaw nearly slammed into the floor when Anne told me that her uncle was over five hundred years old. Five hundred… I shouldn't be shocked by this; for real, I shouldn't. Yet, I couldn't help it. Alexander claimed to be over two thousand years old, a number so large I can't even comprehend it. If he were born on Earth, he would've been around since the damn Bronze Age and witnessed the rise of the friggin internet.

Five hundred years isn't much, but even then, my tiny brain was going nuts. Five hundred years, that's like… what the Renaissance? Friggin nuts.

I would be lying if I said I enjoyed Anne's visit. Or, well, let me clear that up. I enjoyed her stay and seeing her again, but I had outside issues that made it hard for me to appreciate that. Mainly being the archbishop and that Frenchman who showed up to the house. They were already gone, having left shortly before I came outside, yet that feeling of dread still lingered within me.

That man matched the description that Isa gave back at our camping trip—the man who had supposedly spoken to her tribe’s elder in English. That was years ago, though, so this might just be a coincidence, but I don’t think so. I’d need to talk to Isa and see if she reached the same conclusion as me. Yet, that still didn’t explain why I felt so anxious—no, scared around him.

The way he looked at me—his small yellow eyes—it was like he knew who I was. I saw it right through me. Maybe I’m just being paranoid. Fuck, I wish the Man in Black was here to talk to me. He’d know what the hell is up, I hope.

“So, like this?” Anne said to Varis as she held up her hand in front of her face, her index finger and thumb pinched together to form a small circle while her other fingers remained splayed out.

“Yeah! Just like that,” Varis said excitedly. “Now, Luna said to clear your head, think about nothing, and just blow!”

I snapped myself out of my stupor and looked at my friend and brother over by the old run-down shed in the backyard. I had briefly asked them to leave me alone for a second as I collected my thoughts. Anne seemed disappointed, but when Varis offered to show her the magic I’d been teaching him in secret, she immediately brightened up and ran off with him.

It was nice seeing the two of them hitting it off so easily. I watched as Anne blew through the gap in her fingers after muttering the words of the Gust spell, and to my surprise, a cool breeze shot forth from the circular gap and battered the fence. Nothing too fierce, but strong enough to make the chainlinks rattle.

Anne’s eyes immediately flew open, and she shuddered due to the residual ether flowing through her body. She spun around to face Varis and me. “Luna! Luna!” She called over to me. “Look look!”

“Shhh!” Varis shot a finger to his lips and shushed Anne. “Secret! This is a secret!” He warned her; the adults didn’t know what we were doing back here, and if news got out, I was showing the other kids spells, though mostly harmless spells... Okay, I relent… Gust can be a little dangerous if used in such a way, but I thought teaching them fire spells would be a bit much. The point is if Mom and Dad learned what I was doing. My ass would be sore come the next day.

I took a deep breath to clear my mind from what was bothering me and took a moment to try and enjoy the present. Isa and I planned to scout the city tomorrow in hopes of finding its “heart” to speak to the Master again. I’ll leave the worrying for then. For now, I just want to keep enjoying being a kid again.

I got up from the porch steps I had been sitting on and shuddered when a natural, cold breeze blew into the yard. Frick! I shivered and clutched my arms. It’s freaking summer now; why the hell is it so cold?!

While my parents had gotten Varis and me new clothes, none of those clothes were suitable for cooler weather. Mainly because it was the start of friggin summer! At least, it was supposed to be. This is the one thing I hate about Heinmar; it reminds me of Ohio. The state where Mother Nature was severely bipolar. One day, it’s hot as hell, and you're sweating all over everything, and then the next day, the weather plummets thirty degrees, and all the sweat turns to ice.

I hate the winter. I hate cold weather, and I’m really starting to hate this summer more than I do already!

“You did very well, Anne!” I praised her as I walked over to the two. “For your first time, you really gave that fence a good push.” I smiled.

Anne was beaming from ear to ear as she practically jumped up and down. “I did magic! I actually did magic; I could be a wizard!”

“We could all be wizards!” My brother exclaimed, and it was my turn to shush him.

“Keep it down, you two,” I said, lowering my hands as a gesture. “Momma and Papa will get really mad if they hear us.”

“Why?” Anne asked, confused, as she cocked her head to the side, causing her long, red bangs to shield most of her face.

“Because young kids like us shouldn’t be practicing magic like this without supervision, and my parents don’t have time to supervise us,” I partially lied. It was true that my mom would rather be supervising us while we practiced. The other reason, though, was due to my sheer power when it came to my spells.

Already, I’d blown my cover at Dr. Kegan’s clinic when I healed Saint Marco, and thankfully, word of that incident has been slow to spread. If word got out that a little seven-year-old girl could cast spells on par with a celestial mage, I’d be drawing unwanted eyes from every direction.

Did I agree with this?

It’s complicated. On one hand, I know where my parents are coming from. Keeping me safe and secure outside the eyes of individuals like Colonel Hass was good for me and my family. However, seeing an old man die before me when I could so easily snap my fingers and fix him felt morally justified. Yes, in hindsight, I could’ve asked the Hensler family to step outside. I'm not saying that would’ve worked, but I could’ve. I still feel that using my healing powers for those who need them is worth the risk.

This is why I’m pleased that my mother agreed for me to use my magic when such a situation arises. Practicing simple motes in the backyard is not such a time.

Anne thankfully understood my simple explanation and nodded. “Okay, I’ll be a little more quiet.”

Varis crossed his arms and nodded. “Alright.” He looked at Anne. “Wanna try again?”

Anne’s eyes lit up. “Yeah!”

I guess I can act as the supervising adult. I thought.

Practice went on without a hitch. Mostly. Okay, there was a little problem. Just a small one, though, I don’t think anyone will notice. At least, I hope not. Because if it does get found out, my ass will be grass.

You see, in the backyard of my aunt and uncle's house, there’s this old, run-down shed. I think I mentioned it before. It’s a nice shed. About seven feet high and five feet deep. There is enough space to hold some outdoor tools. It’s a bit rundown, clearly used often, and has seen better days. It had a window on the left-hand side when looking directly at it. Emphasis on “had” a window.

The magic was great. Fantastic; the spell went off without a hitch. As to the outcome, well, I think you know where I’m going with this.

Anne was excited—I mean, really, really excited to go at this again. She was practically vibrating with excitement; I swear, it was like my old phone whenever I got a notification. She was so ready for me to give the clear; she was just waiting for me to fire the starting pistol.

The objective was simple. Varis and I had set up a small stone ring at the end of the yard and placed a small pile of twigs in the center of it. I didn’t want to create a fire or anything for obvious reasons, so instead of blowing out a flame, I just instructed Anne to blow away the twigs.

What I failed to see behind me were these little garden decorations my aunt had. As mentioned before, the back of the yard, which led into an alleyway, was a little overgrown. The fence was covered in vines, and the small garden area that used to be used was completely reclaimed by nature. Amongst this old garden were these garden gnomes. I mean, actual garden gnomes. They almost looked like the little bastards I used to see sold at my local Menards. You know, like the guys in blue shirts with pointy red hats? Like, literally, one-for-one recreation. It was kind of spooky, to be honest.

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Those guys. Those guys were behind me, and the small fire pit was covered in twisting vines and camouflaged.

“Alright,” I said. “I know you're excited, but it’s like I said. Emotions, good or bad, influence how the ether reacts in your body.”

“That’s the fuzzy feeling, right?” Anne asked with anxious excitement.

I nodded. “Yep, that bubbly fuzzy feeling in you is your well releasing ether. At least that’s what Momma and Master Alexander said. When we feel excited or angry, that causes the ether to get excited and rush out of us. Which can be good or bad, depending on what we want.”

“Okay!” Anne giggled, and I was unsure if she caught on to what I said.

“You understand me?” I asked, and she paused, tilted her head a little, and looked at me.

“I think so,” she said bluntly, and I sighed.

“Take a couple deep breaths and clear your head; focus on the twigs there.” I pointed to the fireplace. “And begin to recite the incantation, and then hold your hand up in the gesture. When you finish, blow; don’t think about anything else. Try to keep your excitement down, and just imagine a breeze pushing the twigs.”

Anne nodded and sucked in a deep breath to calm herself. She shuddered and wiggled as she widened her stance and assumed the position. I turned to my brother, who stood off to the side, and gestured for him to step back and out of the way, and he did so.

Anne began to mumble the incantation once more that I taught her and held her hand up to her lips. I could see her trembling a little with nervousness, and I bit my lower lip. Part of me had flashbacks to when I had blown away my father’s tent and ruined our delicious coffee.

I’ve yet to forgive myself for that.

Then I began to reconsider what we were doing. Anne was facing the shed, if she blew now and if such a blast was as powerful as my first time, she may damage the shed. Then again, I’d seen her do this once already, and it wasn’t bad.

My thoughts were too slow. I was too busy second-guessing myself and not acting when Anne finally finished the incantation.

“Gust!” She said and blew into her hand, and a powerful blow so strong that I saw the air ripple and distort.

The ground exploded into dust and debris, and one of the little hidden gnome statues, and of course it was the one with its pants down mooning, got hoisted off the ground. It did three flips in the air and slammed into the glass window, shattering it completely as it flew into the shed like a cannon.

Varis and I stumbled away from Anne as we inhaled some of the dust and debris. I turned away and bent forward, coughing heavily. “Can’t breathe!” I heard Varis squeak out as he fell onto the ground and rolled, clutching at his throat.

I cleared my throat heavily, spat a disgusting glob onto the ground, and could finally suck in fresh air. I pounded my chest a few times, probably not good for my developing breasts, and gulped as much fresh air as I could.

“T-Too strong!” I gasped.

“I-I’m sorry!” Anne said, “I-I couldn’t help it, y-you were so close, a-and I felt n-nervous.” I waved a hand at her as I bent over my knees, and after a few moments, I straightened up.

“I-It’s okay,” I said, taking a deep breath and finally composing myself. Meanwhile, my brother continued to writhe on the ground as if he were dying.

I knew he was just overreacting.

“I was nervous too the first time,” I said as I went over to my brother and kneeled beside him. “Having an audience can be scary,” I said as I turned to my brother, who reached out and grabbed me by my collar.

I squeaked as Varis yanked me down and said in a hoarse voice, “Luna... I-I don’t think... I’ll make it...” He choked out.

Anne gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh my gods, I’m sorry!” She squealed, and I sighed.

“Tell... Momma... I-I...” Varis, always being the dramatic one, croaked and pretended to play dead as Anne dropped to her knees.

Staring at my brother, stone-faced, I rolled my eyes and bopped him on the head. “Stop it, you dolt; you’re scaring Anne!” My brother yelled, and his hands shot to where I bonked him, and he rolled away from me, giggling.

He rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself to his knees, still clutching the part I bopped, and he shouted, “I’m alive! Luna saved me!” He then threw himself at me, and I cried out and tried to dodge, yet this frail little body of mine was not as fast as him.

Varis wrapped his arms around me, which might as well have been steel beams; I couldn’t pry them off, and he pulled me into a body-crushing hug. I choked as I felt my back audibly pop as my brother crushed my little body as he said, “Look, Anne, Luna cured me!”

“Gyak! Yo--ouch! Ba-Bastard!” I choked out as I tried to wriggle free.

Varis gasped, “Oh, that’s a naughty word, Luna!”

“Sh-Shut up!” I grunted as Varis finally released me, and Anne giggled.

“You two are adorable,” she said, looking a little calmer now after all that just happened.

I nearly crumbled to the ground, my back feeling like it had just been shattered, but I caught myself and straightened up with a grunt as my back cracked again. I sighed and blushed a little and said, “You mean I’m adorable? He isn’t.” I jutted a thumb at Varis, who scoffed.

“What do you mean? I’m adora--” He stopped himself. “I’m cool!”

I snapped my finger and said, “Exactly, you’re cool, but not adorable.”

Varis opened his mouth to abject but then stopped before he could make himself look dumb and said, “Thank you.” And crossed his arms.

Anne giggled some more and glanced back at the mess she had accidentally made. The ground that once held the fire ring was gone. Even the grass was gone. It was just a big dirt patch. The rocks and twigs were nowhere to be seen.

God, I’m surprised none of us got blasted by shrapnel. I thought of it with relief.

“I, uh, think I went too strong,” Anne said, now sounding nervous again.

Seeing her expression fall again, I stepped in and hastily said, “It’s okay. The first time I did this, I blew up my father’s tent.” I giggled, though I left out the part about how I ruined the sacred coffee beans. “It all just comes down to power management.”

“Power... management?” Anne blinked.

Oh boy, I thought. I don’t know if I can explain this well enough.

So far, what I know. Magic is tricky and simple. Based on my brother and now Anne, and of course, what Mother told me, anyone can do magic. This world isn’t like Harry Potter or other stuff that I’ve seen where magic isn’t limited to special people. Somewhat.

Mother has told me that there are people who are “atherless” folk with Wells that are deemed “shallow.” That doesn’t mean that they can’t use magic; it just means that they get tired out more easily or cannot use higher-tier spells. That doesn’t mean, though, that they cannot learn or do it.

Magic is as simple as meditation. You clear your mind, imagine what you want to happen, and then focus on your well and imagine what you want to happen. Of course, there are dozens of factors that come into play here. Such as your state of mind, stance, how well you know the incantation, and your hand gestures, to name a few.

These little variables help the caster focus on what they want to happen, and as such, they can channel their ether more easily. At least, that’s how my mother and master Alexander explained it to me. I knew they were dumbing things down considerably for me, and there are also a ton of other aspects of it that weren’t even mentioned yet.

Such as if all of these are important. How come I, and others like Alex and my mother, can cast spells without saying an incantation? Or even doing the fancy hand gestures? For instance, I can now cast gust by simply saying "gust,” and I don’t even need to do the little OK sign with my fingers. I can just do it.

And I can’t even tell you that because even I don’t know it. Magic has just come naturally to me, and part of that, I think, is due to the Man in Black. I have nothing to compare this to, but I think that “boon” he gave me all those months ago has something to do with this.

Once again, another thing to add to my list of questions for him.

“Yeah,” I finally said to Anne, “it’s a bit of a deep topic. But, uh, I don’t have a good way to explain it,” I admitted.

God, I hate this. Having the mental capacity and maturity (for the most part) of an adult is agonizing when it comes to talking to other kids my age. The stuff that my parents explained to me (for the most part) has stuck with me quite easily, and I understood, which sure as hell made their lives a lot easier, but Anne. I don’t even know where to begin explaining magical practices to her on a level she understands.

Varis was an exception; he was dumb (he’s my brother; I can get away with saying this), but also smarter than most kids his age. Isa and my mother have done a good job of teaching us. He’s also surprisingly focused during the handful of sessions I had with him.

Maybe I’m just being an asshole. I thought, I don’t know how learned Anne is, and I shouldn’t be assuming she won’t understand.

“You can try,” Anne smiled and fixed her skirt as she sat down on the grass and tapped a spot next to her for me to sit.

I took a deep breath and sat down. “Alright.” I sighed. “As we know, we have the well deep inside us, right?” Anne nodded. “Inside that well is ether, which is controlled by our state of being. So how we feel, our situation, our focus, and so forth.” Anne nodded slowly. “All of this is important because it’ll help us direct how our ether flows and how powerful it’ll be. Too excited or too scared could lead to you putting too much ether into a spell, and thus it’ll cause what happened here.” I gestured to the dirt patch, and it was at this moment I saw it.

Anne nodded her head and said, “Okay, I... I think I get it. Luna?” She looked at me. “What’s wrong?”

I hadn’t noticed it, but I was pale as a sheet. “Th-th...The window.” I pointed at the shed, and Varis gawked as well. Before us, the shed window was shattered, and faintly, through the other side, I could see the gnome baring its white ass at us, its pointed head speared into the wooden wall.

“I don’t think Mom or Dad heard it!” Varis said quickly. “They would’ve come rushing out here if they did.”

I gulped nervously. “Ye-yeah... we can... we can. Uh, Varis, help me grab some of the vines and leaves; we can cover it!”

“Should we?” Anne asked who now looked extremely guilty. “Maybe if we’re honest, they’ll let us off?”

I turned to her. “While that is morally the right thing to do,” I said, “if Momma and Papa know I’ve been doing this with you guys.” I sliced my finger across my neck, and Anne squeaked and covered her mouth. “I’m a goner.”

“Exactly!” Varis said as he grabbed a few heavy leaves, and I mean, these leaves were huge. About the size of his torso. They grew on some kind of shrub or giant weed. I’ve seen them often around town and when he went camping. Varis hoisted the big green plant and impaled it onto some of the broken shards on the window.

“There! They’ll never notice!” He stepped back with his hands on his waist to admire his handy work.

To say it was “hidden” in itself would be a lie.

Woe is me...