[Shelly's POV]
I'm terrified! I'm falling endlessly!
I screamed at the top of my lungs, this is real, so real that I could actually feel my hair slapping my face. As much as I would like to grab my hair, tie it into a bun for this convenient free falling, the pull of gravity is scary enough to turn my limbs numb. Not again!
The fall continued felt like a blackhole sucking me towards an abyss with no return, but as the period of falling got longer and longer, I got used to it so much so that I was now falling on my back with both hands supporting my head. Is this my life now? Nevermind. I closed my eyes, hoping that everything is all a dream.
"....."
"Shelly! What in the world do you think you're doing young lady?!"
My eyes flickered open after hearing Yurara's voice, an annoying voice from this particular not-so-parental figure. She was right in front of me, standing with both hands on her hips, glaring like there was no tomorrow.
"I'm sleeping?" I asked in a sarcastic tone.
"In the bathtub with your clothes on? Really now?" her voice seething with anger.
Holy cow! I am in the tub with my clothes on! I'm drenched up until my chest, seemingly had taken a nap without any regard of getting naked first, and on top of that I was still wearing my shoes!
"Uh, the truth is I slipped and might have had bumped my head, thus rolling to the tub, accidentally turning the faucet on in the process." I responded with a serious expression.
"What are you talking about?" Yurara asked me while bending forward, and with a snap of her fingers she lifted me in the air and dried my clothes with a strong gust of wind.
I felt like getting rammed by a large sweeping breeze. It was true that I was no longer wet, but now my hair looked like frozen icicles. I shook my head to bring myself together, and with eyes widening, the realization that Yurara literally used magic in front of me left me speechless for a moment.
"Hurry up child. Fix your hair, brush your teeth and wear the apprentice uniform I've prepared for you in your bed. You might think that you're so great because of the majestic plants you were able to grow in the Botanical garden, but I am sure that you have no idea of the basics." and with that long speech, Yurara strode out of my room, slamming the door before me.
"Wind. Her affinity is wind."
It only dawned to me, but at least I was able to do make sense of what just happened. Yesterday or earlier I was just bombarded with a magical affinity showcase. Then the maids telling me that Yurara is someone that I should not trust, and that there are more apprentice classes for the following days. I was also told that time was up and got pushed into a mirror unsure if that was even necessary in the first place.
It was so much to process, for the past years I've been living a normal isolated life, and suddenly people are flocking to me and showing me things that are out of this world like magic. I sandwiched my cheeks with both palms to give myself a boost to face the day, afterwards I head to do my morning rituals and change of clothes.
"Good morning Miss Shelly." four voices greeted me in chorus.
I descended from the stairs and made my way to the living room, accidentally tripping on the carpet, but was able to immediately pull myself back up. Oh dear, why do I have to look so clumsy and silly today? Did Aunt Yurara see me trip? I glanced around me then exhales once I confirmed that she was not yet around.
"Hi everyone." I smiled at them after.
Maid Lhea also known as Lei gave me a courteous nod, Yona or Hato did not bat a glance towards me, which slightly made me upset. Fortunately, Hori, short for Horikawa and Miki, short for Mikheala, stood from the seats to approach and greet me.
Horikawa was fidgeting, shy as ever little blue-haired, her ocean eyes met mine as if telling me that it would be her greeting. I resisted the urge to pat her, but I failed. She looked up to me when I did so, and kept silent before returning to the sofa.
"How was your sleep? Any crazy dreams?" questioned Miki with a wink.
Can I take that as a confirmation that my memory of our conversations in the basement was real? I shook my head as an answer. When Miki raised an eyebrow, and cups her chin, I felt a little nervous.
"You don't remember any dream?" Miki continues.
"Mikheala, behave now, aren't you going to invite Shelly to sit with you?" Yurara muses, her expression stern, like a true terror teacher.
I flinched when Miki and Yurara's eyes met, I felt scared for Miki. However, the moment that Mikheala snap her finger conjuring a rose before our eyes, giving it to Aunt Yurara, the tension between them died down.
"Am I forgiven teacher?" asked Mikheala in a cheerful tone.
Yurara walked to the dandelion-haired maid slash witch apprentice, exhaling once, before grabbing the rose from Mikheala's hand, "forgiven for now."
"Everyone line up in a column." Yurara orders us.
All four immediately lined up, a meter away from Yurara at the center of the spacious part of the living room. I glanced at my aunt and I received a what-are-you-waiting-for-look. Hurrying to the line, I stood straight with hands besides me - more like a soldier and less than an apprentice- if ever that made sense.
"Now, I would like to teach Shelly the basics. Everyone stretched out your arms and imagine energy building up at the tips of your fingers. No spell casting or what not, just try to connect with your inner affinity." stated Yurara while walking to the right, then to the left.
Unsure if I'm doing the right thing, I decided to copy what the others were doing or at least that was suppose to be my plan. A few minutes later I found myself watching how the other four could easily create colorful energies in between their palms. Horikawa was producing a blue light, Lei was red, Hato looked white, grayish.... oh silver, fancy color, then last but not the least was Miki producing yellow light.
"Psst, Shelly, start working on yours." whispered Miki to me.
She must have noticed that instead of practicing the basics, I was simply staring at them.
"O-oh right. Sorry." I whispered back, before doing the same stance as the four maids.
Fifteen minutes later, I finally felt the urge to watch the others again. Yet when I look to my right, to my horror Aunt Yurara was now standing before me her face leaning downwards thus meeting me in the eyes. I almost released a yelp, but fortunately I was able to stop myself by covering my mouth.
"Girls, stop. You're doing great as usual, but it seems like your expertise are distracting Shelly here. I would like all four of you to return to your seats, and let Shelly gather her affinity energy alone." spoke Yurara.
All four look at each other, then to me with mixed expressions- concern from Horikawa, a playful smirk from Mikheala, indifference from Hato/Yona and a smile from Lhea/Lei.
"Will you be okay?" Horikawa asked me sweetly.
"U-uhh, of course, I can do it Horikawa." I beamed, and giving the small child a thumbs-up.
Oh crap, what am I talking about?! I definitely had no idea how to gather this colorful light at the tips of my fingers! But I'm too scared to admit that I feel nothing forming on my palms in front of this terror aunt of mine.
Yurara returned to her red and golden couch at the center, one leg crossed over another and hands intertwined on her lap. She was eyeing me seriously, and if the pressure was not enough, Yurara stated, "magic doesn't work under pressure, you must clear your mind of any unnecessary thoughts."
How am I suppose to calm my mind when you're the one supervising this basic magic thingy? Your glares could kill if you ever decide to add some deadly magic on it!
"And if I didn't manage to produce any blinking light?" I asked her with a forced smile.
I wanted to ask in advance, what possible punishment I would be getting, and who knows? Maybe, that punishment could actually motivate me to release every single energy in my body in order to pass this Basics class.
"Then you can try again tomorrow. If you fail, you have to try again, and again, and again. However, by the 13th trial and you still cannot produce anything. You would never be able to step out of this mansion." Aunt Yurara remarks unsmilingly.
She's really a bitch alright. The memory of this woman beating me up a couple of days ago, and showing me that she was able to open the main double-door without any keys are both proof that she enjoys seeing me suffer. What a sadist. Now, I am forced to take magic classes just because she assumed that the sudden change in the Botanical Garden was my doing.
Would things have been better if I just denied her assumption that day she found her Botanical Garden bloomed drastically? However, if Yurara was truly hiding the existence of the maids from me, then she had no choice but to force the magical changes to the only person she has been living with, which is me. Then, wouldn't that mean that if I pushed the idea that it was not my doing and I know nothing about magic, she would be more suspicious of my activity? Then I would get more punishments! Dang it, I hate this life.
While I was having these train of thought, I did not realize that my body was already and unconsciously doing the gathering-energy stance. Yet, my mind continue to fly about.
My goal to escape the mansion was ignited the day I saw that the door can be unlocked, however it was not something worthy of praise, since doors are obviously meant to open and close when a person needs to go out or go inside. The catch is, I can now assume that it was a magical door instead, and that means it can only be opened through magic too.
I was also determined to talk to the maids and find out about Yurara's mysteriousness and weakness, although that was before I found out that she's a witch. I'm being held prisoner of a witch and if it was not already bad enough that Yurara is an abuser sadist bitch witch, she seems to have control over these four maids I'm trying to squeeze information from. Oh life, what did I do to deserve this?
"Put it out! Put it out!"
I blinked twice, like sirens their voices echoed across the living room.
"Are you tryin' to kill me? Hahaha! That was close!" laughed Miki, while hiding behind a sofa.
Actually all four witch apprentice classmates of mine were behind the sofa, with Aunt Yurara surrounding herself with a barrier made of air. When I looked at my hands, my eyes dilated, seeing that I am spewing fireballs from my palms uncontrollably.