Maybe I Have Feelings For You

Chapter twenty: Broken Wand

I huffed in annoyance. Ever since I blasted that Umbra away, I haven't gotten my wand to work. Luckily none of the teachers have been making us do practical magic, just endless tests which I'm surprisingly grateful for.

Last night, I snuck into town. It was a little rebellious of me to do so but I needed to enter the shop that specializes in fixing wands. As if the Gods have answered my prayers I found a twenty-four hour shop.

I spoke to the creepy old man behind the counter. He inspected it for no more than five seconds before telling me that it was never broken in the first place, and he thought that I might've simply outgrown my wand. Similar to how a hermit-crab can't live in a certain shell forever.

I didn't believe that creepy old man from the store though. He reeked of booze and slurred almost every syllable in his sentences, his eyes looked bloodshot-red to the point they appeared to look like his actual eye colour for only a short moment.

Let's just say that I'll never go over to that side of town again. Even if they do have twenty-four hour service...

Your wand is supposed to choose you specifically. Sure, I could always purchase a new one, but it will never be the same. It's challenging to cast a spell with a wand that never chose you. And with the short amount of time I have left, I don't have time to adjust to another wand.

Then, I started to think that maybe it was simply just me. With all the stress and pressure I was undergoing of becoming a Guardian in the near future, I couldn't perform one simple spell no matter how hard I tried.

Elias commented, "You seem distressed."

"How many days have I been here? Nine? I've used the same wand and now all of a sudden it stops working!" I vented, slapping my wand against the palm of my hand hoping my wand would magically start working again.

"Are you sure you're not concentrating enough?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure!" I snapped. My eyes widened at my own reaction. "I'm sorry. But, gah! It's so frustrating. I'm never going to pass the trial at this rate..."

"Let me try." I handed him my wand reluctantly and he performs a tornado spell, flawlessly. Elias handed me my wand back with an apologetic shrug. "Maybe you're just not concentrating enough."

"Oh, come on!" In frustration, I slammed my hand palm-down on the desk. The desk I touched looked as if an invisible force had dragged it across the room, clashing with other desks. Papers flew up and fluttered down like abnormally large snowflakes. Students clamoured in shock.

"Or maybe, it's because you don't need a wand anymore." Elias stated the obvious with a raised eyebrow.

"I can do hand magic? I thought only spellsingers could perform magic without a wand..."

As if professor Merkulova was listening onto the conversation the entire time, he had a seed and pot containing soil inside, and a familiar jug of water. He placed all three things on my desk with a warming smile. "We've done this spell before. It should be simple review for you."

Naturally, I formed my hands into the shape of a dome around the seed that was already placed in the dirt. I covered the plant until there was no light covering it. Somehow I knew what I was doing.

I focused my concentration on the spell. A warm yellow light peeped through the tight spaces of my hands and fingers. I could feel the seed turn into a sprout. Then to the next growing phase until the plant had no more room to grow in my small hands. Elias, including the rest of the class roared with applauses except for one person; professor Merkulova himself. He observed me in silence.