The Chronicles of Emilia

Chapter 12: Gift of Happiness

As I cleared the final dish from the table, my eyes lit up, shimmering with a mischievous glint. I wanted to lighten the mood, to erase the remnants of the tension-filled dinner. With a flick of my wrist, the dishes in my hands began to levitate, hovering in mid-air.

"Watch this," I whispered, my voice filled with playful excitement. The dishes danced in the air, creating a fun display of floating porcelain.

Lila's eyes, wide with surprise, shifted from the dishes to me, a hint of curiosity breaking through her previously downcast demeanor. "Emilia, that's... incredible. How are you doing that?" she asked, her voice carrying a faint trace of wonder.

Milo, too, was captivated, his eyes following the graceful movement of the dishes. A smile played on his lips, the tension in his shoulders easing as he let himself be swept up in the moment.

"Oh It's just a little levitation magic," I said, winking at them as I guided the dishes towards the sink. "It makes the clean-up process a lot more interesting, don't you think?"

"I've... never seen anything like it," Lila murmured, her gaze still locked onto the floating dishes, a subtle glimmer of fascination in her eyes. "You must be a really powerful witch."

"A beautiful witch too, I know," I added, with a playful flip of my hair, as I basked in their admiration.

The comment had its intended effect, at least for Milo who burst into awkward laughter. However, I could tell Lila was still slightly downcast despite the lightened mood.

"Okay, okay, don't let it go to your head now," Milo teased, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he attempted to regain his composure.

"Yeah, yeah," I laughed, "whatever you say."

The atmosphere in the room had transformed, and the weight of the previous conversation lifted, even if just for a moment. With the dishes still levitating, I gestured for Milo and Lila to continue with the cleaning, deciding to keep the magic going to lighten the mood.

Milo, not one to be outdone, decided to join in on the fun. With a cheeky grin, he rolled up his sleeves dramatically and started waving his hands around, pretending to conduct the dishes in mid-air.

"I've got this, watch and learn," he proclaimed confidently, though his exaggerated movements made it clear he was just playing around.

Lila let out a soft smile, her armor cracking just a bit as she watched Milo's theatrical performance. "Quite the maestro, aren't you?" she teased, a faint sparkle in her eyes.

"I call this... The Symphony of Unwashed Dishes!" Milo announced, his voice full of mock grandeur.

With my magic still in control, I decided to play along, making the dishes swirl around Milo in a playful dance. He pretended to be surprised, acting as if he was the one controlling their movement.

"Wow, I really do have a knack for this!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with feigned awe.

One by one, dishes gently landed in the sink, and with another flick of my wrist, the water turned on, washing away the remnants of our meal. A cleaning rag then levitated next to the sink, diligently scrubbing at the dishes as they rinsed.

"Now that's what I call a duet," I said with a grin, pleased that the magic had successfully lightened the mood.

Milo shot me a playful glare. "Show off," he muttered, a smirk dancing on his lips that betrayed his feigned annoyance.

With the last dish cleaned and the kitchen in order, I let the magic fade. The cleaning rag landed softly on the counter, the water shutting off, bringing our magical interlude to a close.