15/05/1998
•Ella Kiyoni
27 years ago
Turning 15 on the 15th! I'm so exited! Not only do I love birthdays, but this one is special. Today is the day I get magic!
I dash out of my room ,still wearing my pajamas and bed hair, and run downstairs straight to my mom. But she was preparing breakfast and carrying a tray of food which I was sure I would collide with, until I find myself floating.
Ma cast a levitation spell so I don't ruin breakfast. One of the simplest form of magic, a level-2 spell. One that I would soon be able to do myself.
"Happy birthday sweetie, but please be careful. I spent five minutes making this," Ma says before she gently releases the spell and I'm on the floor again.
"You used magic! It would not even take much energy to make another batch"
"Good thing you are turning 15 today. You will be in charge of cooking from now on." Mom replies as she begins to use magic to set the table.
The plates, utensils,napkins, and cups all float in a perfect formation. The plates settle in an orderly fashion, with the napkins neatly folded beside them, utensils on top, and cups placed to the side. A jar of juice which was floating in the air as well, begins to pour over into the cups until it reaches the desired amount.
All this is done while she gives me an unnecessary lecture on how my responsibilities will increase from today onwards.
"I know Ma, with great power comes great responsibility. I've heard You and Pa mention it all the time. But let's leave that for now. I am very excited today. When do I start casting spells like you?" I jump up and down barely able to contain my excitement.
Ma smiles, she must also be excited. I heard her one day talking to Pa about how my coming of age magic would improve our family's status in the royal court. I try not to dwell on the suspicion that they might also be talking about a marriage alliance. I don't have time to think about that right now.
"Do you feel…different today?" Ma asks
"I feel extra hungry. Is that different?" I reply feigning seriousness.
"That is not the development we mean ,dear" Pa says as he comes down the stairs.
He waves his hand and in the blink of an eye, my bed hair and pajamas is replaced with a crisp green shirt and brown trousers. My blonde hair is now styled in perfect wavy curls cascading over my shoulders, and I now smell faintly of jasmine.
"Pa! I was going to shower soon," I fake complain.
"Yes, and waste 2 hours of time. You should learn to use magic to get ready now. It saves time and money. And happy birthday dear." Pa says before sitting on the already prepared dining table, and we both join him.
"Now dear, tell us seriously, do you feel any different today?" Pa asks with a serious look on his face. Ma has the same look. It's like it is important for me to feel different today but… I don't feel anything. Is that bad?
"How do you mean…different?" I fiddle with my fork.
"There will be a feeling in you that tells you something new has awakened, and that is your power speaking. You don't feel it?" Ma's voice wavers slightly.
"I don't feel anything Ma" A wave of unease washes over me but I push it aside.
It should not mean much, it would not make a difference.
Ma and pa exchange a look of concern before ma smiles.
"It's okay. It does not happen immediately for some people. Let's wait until the end of the day. I'm certain you'd feel it by then, and then we can show you the spell book and begin your lessons" Her smile widens.
Her words offer me some sort of reassurance, but I can't seem to shake this feeling that something is wrong.
…
My day at school was awfully uneventful. It
was a normal day, too normal for the day I turned 15.
The feeling that my parents told me about was no where to be felt, the sun had set, and there was still no magic.
"Maybe tomorrow?" I offer weakly, trying to hold onto some sort of hope.
"It's alright dear. Just go get some sleep, you have school tomorrow. You just turned 15, you have a whole year to figure this out" Pa says in a reassuring tone.
I nod and begin to make my way upstairs, but I stop moving halfway up to wipe the tears falling out of my eyes.
Why am I crying? So what if there was no magical feeling today? it means nothing . What if I tried a couple of spells and nothing happened, it does not matter. It would work tomorrow, I'm certain about that. My parents are certain about-
"Are you sure?" Ma's anxious voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I move closer to hear what they're saying more clearly.
"Honey, this is unheard of. Immediately she turns 15, she is to have magic. Today is gone, what if tomorrow goes like that too, what then?!" Ma sounds anxious
"We wait," Pa says firmly, "There's always a first for everything. She will get magic, she has to. She is our daughter. The only daughter of the Kiyoni nobles. We are the highest ranked nobles in the kingdom of Anodohra, we will not let her tarnish our reputation. She will get magic"
I don't stay to listen to the rest, instead I run up to my room and lock the door. This wasn't about my feelings, it was about their reputation.
But more importantly, it wasn't normal that I didn't develop my magic today.
…
Earlier, I thought the worse thing I could end my very first journal entry with would be:
'Dear journal, magic is harder than I thought, but it's fine, I'll learn'.
But here I am ending with:
'Dear journal, will I ever be able to get magic?'