Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 63: Something Wicked This Way Comes

"Circe, that was the last ingredient, right?" The white-haired witch asked the one stirring the brew in the cauldron as she turned away from the cabinet containing assortments of potions and the things they needed to make them.

"I don't know, Norah." Circe sighed. "I'm not the potion expert here. Ask Emiko."

"Hey, I haven't made this one before! I just learned it from Sage Silversweater," Emiko said, gazing down into the cauldron with a look of slight confusion. "But I think that's all the ingredients. It looks right..."

"Speaking of learning," Norah began, "Emiko... are you really sure about continuing your education outside of the coven? I know you already attended an outside school, but... university, too? You don't need a degree to be outstanding at alchemy," she frowned. "I'm worried for your safety. If someone managed to find out you--"

Emiko interrupted. "I know. But Sage Silversweater is supportive, and he said that maybe studying science and chemistry and stuff could help me be the best alchemist I can be. And... he knows that I'm just really curious about the world outside of Glimmerbrook. I have great control over my powers. The likelihood of a slip-up is slim. I'll be fine."

Norah smiled. "Yeah... I suppose you're right. Just be careful. You know what happened last time one of them discovered that someone living in Glimmerbrook was a witch..."

Circe visibly tensed at the mention. "They'll interrogate you and take you out into the woods where no one can hear you scream when they light the fire underneath the stake, except your family who they brought to watch..." Her voice trembled more with every word. "This is why it's only safe to practice magic here in the Realm of Magic. Glimmerbrook is a small, secluded town, and that makes it a safe place for us to live... but... as you know, we are in the wide open and there are humans among us even here... so please be careful."

Emiko frowned, rattled deep into her core by the emotion in Circe's voice. She knew there had been a witch captured from their coven fifteen years ago, but for her explain the scenario with such conviction... it must have been someone she knew. Though they looked around the same age, it was only due to the immortality granted to them through the means of magic. Both Circe and Norah were much older and wiser than Emiko, and she was sure their memories of the incident were vivid, as they were old enough for it to embed into their minds. There was a sadness that filled the now silent room, but before anyone could attempt to lighten the mood, a loud explosion could be heard throughout the building.

The witches stood in wide-eyed shock as the floor beneath them quaked and potion bottles clanged against each other on the shelves. Circe's heart sank, already knowing what the source of the noise was. Her familiar flapped anxiously beside of her, knowing the situation all too well.

"Was that...?" Emiko's voice trailed off.

"Salem!" Circe's voice was filled with panic. She scurried toward the staircase leading to the level above them.

"Again?" Emiko cringed and followed after her. "Wait for me!"

Norah frowned. 'I should go check on him, too... I really hope he isn't hurt...'

---

"N-No! Not again!" The young wizard cried, staring at his hand in horror as his dark magic swirled around it, flowing through his veins and around his body in the aftermath of the explosion. The large crystal that had once sat neatly on the pedestal nearby had all but disintegrated into nothing. Used as a training dummy, it was supposed to absorb magic. But this deep, powerful darkness destroyed everything it touched. It was far beyond his control. It controlled him. Panic set in as he felt the power only growing stronger, darkness overcoming his entire body...

A voice called to him, sounding so distant yet so near. He took a deep breath and fought to focus as it repeated his name. Salem. Salem...

"Salem!"

It was as if he could hear clearly again, and the world snapped back into focus. There was a steady, firm hand on his shoulder. A sense of calmness began to surface, but he could still feel his untamed dark powers growing stronger. "...S-Sage Morgyn, stay away... please, I-I can't control it... this training is no use...!"

"Breathe, Salem. Calm down." Morgyn's voice was soothing. "You lose control of your powers when you feel too strongly. You did well until you got nervous. But if you don't restrain your emotions now, you're going to overcharge..."

Salem nodded and took a few deep breaths. Slowly, the darkness began to dissipate. "I-I just don't understand... why is this happening to me? Why can my sister control it just fine, yet if I get happy or angry or sad..."

"Darkness is unpredictable. It is the most powerful magical element of all, and harder to control for some than others. I have never seen a dark sorcerer as powerful as you. You were born to be mighty, Salem. With great discipline, I know that you can learn to master and control it...  but it can never be tamed." Morgyn's lips curved into a slight smile. "You always seem so ashamed of you power. Be proud. You have a gift that few have and many seek." 

Salem sighed and looked down at the ground. "I know, but..."

He paused as he noticed a black cat, his familiar, sitting nearby. 'They're right, Salem. You'll master your powers someday... but even until then, you're a powerful wizard, so wear that title with pride! I think you're Morgyn's favorite apprentice, you know...'

Salem smiled as the words echoed in his mind. Though familiars could not verbally speak, they had the ability to communicate telepathically with the person they were bound to. "Thanks, Shadow," he said quietly.

Morgyn's smile widened as they noticed the darkness finally fading away. "What did Shadow say to you?"

"He agreed with you and said that I'm your favorite apprentice." Salem grinned.

"Oh," Morgyn flatly replied as their cheeks gained a slight tint of pink. They averted their gaze shyly. "Well, I certainly am fond of you--" They were cut off with the sound of loud footsteps reaching the top of the stairs. Upon noticing who it was, they breathed a silent sigh of relief that they didn't have to continue stammering out a response...

Salem turned to face the source of the approaching footsteps. "Oh... hey..."

"Salem!" Norah exclaimed, sounding a mixture of worried and relieved. "What happened!?"

"You know the answer to that," Circe sighed, trying to seem unbothered. She didn't want her younger brother to see her always making a big deal of his dangerous power mishaps. It only upset and worried him. But she knew Norah was a worrier, and it didn't help that she had a soft spot for Salem...

Emiko frowned. "Um... is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine." Morgyn answered for him and smiled calmly. "In fact--" A loud ringing drowned out the rest of their sentence.

The sound of the door bell. It was rarely used, as any member of the coven was free to come and go in Magic HQ as they pleased. Everyone paused, seeming confused by the apparent visitor. "...Salem, you can explain what happened. I'll go see who it is," Morgyn said. 

But they already knew.

Morgyn made their way down the stairs as Salem nodded and began an explanation to his sister and her friends. In a swift motion, they opened the door and smiled warmly at the visitor.

"Hello," she began. "A member of your coven showed me the way here. I'm--"

"Lilith Vatore," they finished her sentence. "We've been expecting you. The other sages and I know exactly who you are and why you're here... so please, come in."

---

Orion stared in awe at the massive building in front of him. Today was his first day attending university, and although he was nothing but a bundle of nerves, he took a deep breath of the crisp autumn air and tried to compose himself. He stepped forward with a slight hesitance, willing himself to head towards the entrance...

"Orion...? Is that really you!?"

He paused when he heard the familiar voice and turned to see a girl scurrying over to him, a bright smile on her face.

Emiko was beaming. "It's great to see you! What were the odds we'd be attending the same university!?"

Orion's eyes widened. "Emiko? Wow, you... look really different, even though I just saw you a few months ago at graduation. Your hair grows fast." He smiled warmly. "It's good to see you too!"

"You're right, it does. It's like magic." Emiko laughed. "We've got some catching up to do, though... wanna walk together?"

He nodded. "Of course."

The two friends fell into pace alongside each other as they made their way to the entrance. 

"So, how have things been?" Emiko asked with the same smile she'd been wearing since she saw him.

"They've been..." Orion hesitated. "Good. Um, I... got married to Tiffany last month..."

Her face fell. Even if Tiffany hadn't had that incident with her back in school, she'd still think the girl was bad news. "Oh... how's that going for you?"

He seemed uncertain. "Good... We live with her cousin, Amelia, and her husband Onyx. They're really nice people. Really, they're the ones that raised Tiffany because her parents weren't great from what she's told me. But, um... Tiffany's mother also lives with us, but she's never at home so I don't have to deal with her. I haven't even met her father. They're both bad people anyway, so..."

Emiko nodded. "How's your marriage so far? I guess the two of you are kinda in that honeymoon phase? I hear you should enjoy it while it lasts." She flashed him a playful grin. "I sure am glad I'm not interested in relationships or marriage. Saves me a lot of trouble in my life."

Orion sighed. "She's one of those people that just likes to do stuff, so a lot of times she's not home. I wish she'd spend more time with me, though... other than that and her short temper, I guess I can't complain."

"Short temper?" She frowned. 

"She's the same Tiffany she's always been. Marriage didn't change that... but it's okay. She gets mad over something stupid for five minutes then calms down and apologizes." Orion smiled. "Everyone has flaws. I don't hold something small like that against her..."

As they walked inside the university building, Emiko returned his smile. "Yeah, you're right. Everyone gets caught up in petty drama and anger sometimes, I guess." She wasn't really convinced it was petty, but she couldn't just be rude or criticize him... "Well, I guess I'd better get going. I'll catch up with you later?"

"Yeah, I'll see you later!" Orion nodded and turned to walk aimlessly down the hallway. His first class still wasn't for twenty minutes, so he had a little time to kill. Passing by multitudes of students -- complete strangers -- as he looked through the glass panes of the door at the end of the hall, he noticed rows of bookshelves along the walls: the campus library. Maybe the peace and quiet would do him some good...

Quietly, he slipped inside and looked around. No one else seemed to be there, which was comforting. Hoping he could unwind from his growing anxiety before class, Orion slowly proceeded deeper into the large room.

Gingerly, he ran a hand along books as he passed by them, noticing some were dusty and clearly had been untouched for a long time. He drew closer to the furthest nook of the room, entirely tucked away from view. It seemed like a comfortable place to sit down and clear his mind, but as he turned the corner, he nearly collided with another person. 

The two froze in their tracks with a startled gasp, staring at each other in silence. Orion was the first to stammer out an apology. "I-I'm sorry!"

The boy just smiled and laughed slightly as he spoke. "No, no, it's fine... I didn't see you there! Anyway, it's nice to meet you! You seem like a pretty cool guy. What's your name?"

"O-Oh, um, I'm Orion..." He managed to reply. "What's yours?"

"Orion! That's a beautiful name." The redhead grinned, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. "And I love constellations. Space stuff is the best. My name's--" He paused. "...well, uh, my friends call me Ura. So call me that, because I can already tell we're gonna be best buds! Don't you think?"

"Yeah, I think so too... Ura." Orion smiled warmly. There was something different; maybe even comfortingly familiar about his newfound friend. He could sense it in a weird way, like déjà vu... 

Ura put his hands behind his head, still grinning widely. "Good! Well, I have to go to class, so I'll catch you around sometime. But... Orion..." 

Orion watched as Ura walked past him, not breaking eye contact for a moment.

"I think we've got a lot more in common than you'd think." Ura winked as he disappeared around the corner, leaving Orion confused by his cryptic implication.

-----

The day was long, but he managed to get through it unscathed aside from the exhaustion. The house was quiet as he entered the front door aside from the persistent tapping of the computer keyboard in the small study by the foyer: Onyx undoubtedly working on some freelance writing. Orion couldn't understand why publishers often turned Onyx's novels down, though -- he'd read some of his work and thought it was great. Of course, Amelia was likely in the study too, working on a painting of some sort, so he didn't want to disturb them. Quietly, he proceeded to the staircase, silently thankful that there wasn't any sign of Claire. On the occasion that they did cross paths, the most he ever got from her were nasty glares or even nastier insults.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he walked up to the first door on the left: the bedroom he now shared with Tiffany. Orion could only hope that she was home, but he didn't get his hopes up as the door slowly swung open.

To his surprise, she was there. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, wide-eyed and silent as he looked up at Tiffany, her face decorated in heavy makeup and her body adorned in a skimpy dress. He knew this look. It was one he rarely saw, but everyone else seemed to. "Oh... hey," he quietly said. "You're going out again?"

"Hey." Tiffany hardly even looked at him as she spoke. "Yeah, my friends and I are going out for drinks at the club. I asked if you could come, but... you know. Girls' night out. Sorry."

Deep down, Orion suspected that wasn't what she was doing all the time. It was always the same excuses, again and again... but was she really telling him the truth? He could hear the feigned disappointment in her voice, but the hurt in his was authentic. "I-It's okay. I was just... hoping we could spend some time together. It doesn't seem like you even want to..."

Tiffany crossed her arms. "Oh, you want to blame me for not spending time with you? I'm sorry, I thought you were the one that signed up for college so you could be out all day instead of being here with me! And what about the past month we've had together after our wedding, before college started? I've tried to spend time with you, really, but... you're the one that doesn't seem interested." 

"W-What?" Orion frowned. "Tiffany, no, you know it's not like that! Of course I want to spend time with you! We still have the chance to spend time together, since I live here with you now, whether I'm going to college or not. Your family's financial situation isn't great, and since I guess you aren't interested, I need to get a job... right? The whole point of this is to get stable and enjoyable job that makes good income. I'm doing this because I care..."

"Whatever." Tiffany rolled her eyes and shoved past him. "Try to take the blame off of yourself all you want. You may act like a perfect angel, but you're not, Orion. You're just too blind to even see it."

His gaze fell to the floor and a sense of shame washed over him. Was she right? Was he really awful without even realizing it? "Tiffany, wait, I'm sorry... I-I love you..."

She gave no reply as she walked through the door.

She glanced over her shoulder and smirked when she heard him crying softly. It was then that a sick satisfaction overcame her, and she slammed the door shut behind her. 'He's too dumb to realize just how foolish he is...'

-----

"Want another drink?" The bartender winked as she asked Tiffany. "I'll give you one on the house." 

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't go home plastered." Tiffany smiled sweetly. "Thanks for your wonderful service, babe." She returned the wink and smirked as she stood from her seat. "I'd give you my best tip, but I can't do that here..."

The bartender blushed. "Maybe some other time... I'll look forward to it." 

Tiffany giggled and turned to walk to the dance floor, but gasped in surprise when a hand grabbed onto hers and someone dramatically dipped her.

"Tiffany. I remember you from last week," the man said, "which is impressive considering how many girls I bring home and forget..."

Tiffany blushed. "Oh, really? I think my memories have grown a bit foggy. Perhaps you can... refresh my mind?"

The man led her by the hand until their bodies were pressed together in a suggestive display of a dance. He smirked and entwined their fingers. "Sí..."