Cinderella Rebirth //hiatus

Chapter 7

Arnold's shoulders tensed. But he tried to laugh. "What do you mean I do? It's illogical, Ross, just turn your date down."

"You're a magician, Arnold, I know."

Arnold stared hard at Ella.

"You're a Claymancer, just like my mother was. Your element is Earth."

Arnold kept silent.

But Ella ruined the silence. As always. "So turn my date into a vegetable, please??"

Arnold really want to pinch Ella's cheek hard. But she was his precious niece, his sister's precious daughter, so he held back. But this cheeky girl, really! That was in a different scale of matter!

"There's no use denying, isn't it?" Ella smiled, showing a row of white teeth. Arnold only grumbled. "You read too much fiction books."

Ella's smile was only getting wider and wider. She really enjoyed teasing her uncle!

"Then let me recite the things I learned in my mother's book, titled Introduction to the World of Magic. Clicked something on your mind?"

Arnold jolted. But this stubborn man only denied it harder. "Don't make things up."

"Magician is divided into two kinds. First, Wizard, who has the magic in their blood, running through their veins, exhaled in their breath. Wizard gets the ability to use magic by nature, they are born this way. In other words, genetic factor. Wizard has the affinity with one, or in some rare cases, more than one main elements. But Wizard is guaranteed to be able to use non-elemental magic, too," Arnold closed his eyes in desperation, but Ella continued still, "different from the second type of magician, as known as Witches. Witch wasn't born with magic. Instead, they stole magic. They exchange magic with life force, whether it's theirs, or their sacrifices'. They rarely use their own life force, though, and that's why they are called dark magicians. Witch doesn't get the affinity with any main element. They can only use non-elemental magic."

Silence. Only Arnold staring, and Ella stared back, her face without fear.

"I give up," Arnold sighed, "what do you want?"

"Nothing," Ella grinned, "but Arnold, why did you insist on denying earlier?"

Arnold looked at Ella and sighed again. This time, his sigh was harder. "Ross, I didn't actually want to hide it. When you were just a baby, I used to make little golems for you to play with, not that you'd remember. But anyway, Sis told me not to tell you about magic. What can I do, little brothers have to listen to their elder sister." His made-pitiful appearance didn't get to Ella's eyes. But these words struck Ella. No wonder in her other life, she didn't know about magic until God knows when. Arnold died when her son, Mike died. He died in Fairy Mary's hands, the so-called fairy who gave Ella her midnight magic, who was actually a powerful Witch working for Myranda. And Ella didn't know the true reason of her beloved uncle's death before she was 27. When she was about to die.

Without any warning, Myranda's voice came resonating in the house.

"What else can you do now? I told you I'll make your life worse than death. Look. I stole your husband. I killed your child. I killed your uncle. Congrats, Cinderella. And happy 27th birthday."

"M..mike.. un..cle.?"

"Oh, your heroic uncle! He thought he can visit his beloved, forgotten niece in the palace! Maryonette's poison finished him."

"Ross? Did you hear me?" Arnold woke Ella up from her sudden nightmare. She was sweating, her feet felt incredibly cold. "Uncle?"

"And only now you're calling me uncle, goodness. Anyway, Sis told me maybe you can live as a normal person. Maybe you aren't a magician. And you know, Wizards are rare, very rare. That's why, even if being a Witch doesn't amount to a Wizard's pinky finger, Witches sacrificing life force are everywhere. Your mom didn't want you to go inside this messed up world, I think," Arnold paused, then his serious face disappeared. He looked so miserable as he said, "now I have to kowtow and apologized to my sister's tomb.. ugh."

Ella smiled. "Arnold, teach me magic."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, I'll just—wait what?!"

"You told me sure!" Ella laughed. "I'll come back here tomorrow, okay! Don't forget your promise!"

"But, Ross...," Arnold pleaded with his eyes, "how..—"

"Bye-bye, uncle! See you tomorrow!" Ella escaped the dining table with her belly full. She left with a burst of happy energy, unlike the first time she arrived.  Arnold was so alike with her mother. Being with him made Ella feel the unconditional love family held for each other. She felt warmth.

And that was how she left Arnold's house, full of youth vitality. But halfway to her house, she realized something and let out a suppressed cry.

"The matchmaking date! I completely forgot!"