“There must be something holding you back,” Morgan said, plopping down beside Ronald with a casual grace. The boy flinched, his eyes widening in surprise as she arrived.

“No…” Ronald muttered, looking down at his hands. “You see, I’ve never been good at anything.”

Being chosen as the crown prince because of his mediocrity, Ronald knew he was not the best, even among his own siblings. He had no pride, no confidence—just a gnawing sense of inadequacy.

“Even the most basic fire spell, I can’t even manifest it…” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Hmm,” Morgan hummed thoughtfully, her fingers tapping as if counting something. “How old are you?”

Ronald blinked at her, a bit thrown off by the sudden question. “I’m… almost 12.”

Morgan nodded sagely. “I was able to manifest my first spell when I was 103 years old.”

Ronald’s jaw dropped, practically hitting the ground.

“Eh…?”

“You see, I have many weaknesses. I don’t have Force talent at all, and it was also hard for me to manifest Vision because of my soul’s peculiarities and many other aspects. I was also far too unlucky compared to normal people,” Morgan said, her tone matter-of-fact.

“But… you’re the Infinite Witch…” Ronald muttered. “People say no matter what spell you cast, you don’t have to stop or rest, you can do it infinitely!”

“Yep, but like other people, I learned spells at a normal pace. I’m not a Vision art genius like Merlin or Yvain,” Morgan explained with a casual shrug.

“Then… is infinity your specialty? That’s the reason you are so strong?” Ronald asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

“Hmm,” Morgan hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t think infinity is my specialty. I don’t think I even found my specialty yet. I think I got my reputation because I am crazy and stubborn.”

Ronald felt disheartened. “If even someone like you hasn’t found it, and you learn spells like normal people, then what can someone like me do?”

“It’s hard, right?” Morgan sighed, her voice tinged with empathy.

The boy turned to Morgan, wariness in his eyes. He was a bit unnerved by the fact that Morgan didn’t try to cheer him up at all. But somehow, he felt better. There was something comforting in her honesty.

“How did you start manifesting, Fairy Godmother?” Ronald asked.

Morgan turned to him and smiled, “I got real angry.”

Ronald blinked, taken aback by the bluntness.

“And sad. And disappointed, betrayed, tired, and frustrated. I think that was how I first manifested that first spell. But weirdly, it wasn’t fire,” Morgan muttered, lost in thought.

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“What… did you manifest?” Ronald asked, curiosity piqued once more.

Morgan leaned back, looking up at the sky. “You know the small patch of ocean near the border of the Luminus Kingdom and the Wintersin Empire that connects the northern and southern ocean?”

Ronald frowned, sensing something monumental was coming. Morgan answered his question in the most shocking way possible.

“I manifested an ocean.”

The boy widened his eyes. The woman in front of him was indeed the legendary witch, a being beyond comprehension.

“But it was only possible because of the nature of my soul. It wasn’t because of my specialty, nor mastery. It was pure monstrosity,” Morgan muttered, a hint of self-deprecation in her voice.

It was silent for a solid five seconds, with the breeze filling in the gap.

“At the end, what started everything wasn’t what I felt at the moment. It was what I wanted,” Morgan said, and something clicked in Ronald’s head. “At the time, I wanted to die.”

By drowning herself.

Morgan reached out with her hand, gesturing for his. When Ronald hesitantly reached back, she asked him, “What do you want?”

The first step was always the hardest. It was the sense of unfamiliarity within one's soul and its inability to trust its own existence. But once that connection appeared…

“I want… to live.”

BURST!

A surge of energy exploded from Ronald, an intense light radiating from him as his raw, untapped potential began to manifest. Morgan watched with a proud, knowing smile. The boy had taken his first step, and the journey of self-discovery had truly begun.

But as the fire diminished from his hand, Ronald’s smile also dimmed—before Morgan grasped his hands tightly, surprising him. “No, Ronald. You have to keep that will of life.”

Ronald widened his eyes, taken aback by the intensity and urgency in her voice.

The reason Morgan wanted her disciples to start with fire was this very thing. She wanted them to live. And as long as their fire continued to be ignited, again and again, she believed they would not lose to anything life threw at them.

“Fire is life, Ronald,” Morgan said softly, her eyes locked onto his. “As long as you keep that flame burning within you, no matter how small it may seem, you will always have the strength to overcome anything.”

Ronald nodded, a new resolve forming within him. He understood now. The fire wasn’t just a spell; it was a symbol of his will to live, to fight, to keep moving forward.

Morgan released his hands, but the warmth of her touch and the strength of her words remained with him. Ronald felt a renewed sense of purpose, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. The lesson had etched itself deeply into his soul, and he knew he would carry it with him always.

“Thank you, Fairy Godmother… no. Thank you, Master.”

Morgan nodded with a beautiful smile. As the boy joined his peers, showing off his newfound fire, Morgan sat there, alone, a wistful expression crossing her face.

With the touch of her hand, she had erased parts of Ronald’s memory about the things she said. It was things she wanted to make sure he didn’t have to remember—

“I manifested an ocean—pure monstrosity—I wanted to die… those are things a boy like him shouldn’t be influenced by. Thank you, Master Vlad, for teaching me mind spells,” Morgan muttered to herself.

In the future, the boy would remember this as a magical moment without any of her negativity. He would recall the burst of energy, the warmth of discovery, and the resolve to live, but the shadows of her past would remain hidden, tucked away where they couldn’t touch him.

Morgan sighed, watching the boys practice, their laughter and determination filling the air. She knew she had done the right thing. Sometimes, the path to strength and self-discovery needed to be paved with light, free from the burdens of darkness.

As the wind gently rustled the leaves, Morgan felt a sense of peace. The courtyard, now a place of growth and hope, was a testament to the power of teaching, of guiding the next generation towards a brighter future.

Except, she didn’t know that it wouldn’t be only her who would remember this moment alone.

A man stood not too far away, watching in silence.

His presence was almost ghostly, blending into the shadows cast by the trees. He had seen everything—the burst of energy, the erasure of memories, the tender yet powerful exchange between master and student.

Burn felt suspicious.