(Steven"s POV)(An hour later)
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We got Madelyn to the infirmary where the mages there immediately escorted us out. All of us were separated and I was with Lilith. We sat together in the hallway waiting for any kind of news about Madelyn.
Lilith: "So… Madelyn somehow contracted Witch"s Burning. Do you know what that could mean?"
Steven: "I don"t know anything about witches. Is as bad as I think?"
Lilith: "Listen…"
She proceeds to tell me that Witches are notorious for becoming too powerful, too quickly. There"s a condition that"s treated like a disease called the "Witch"s Burning." It got its name from the fact that it feels like you"re being burned alive before becoming a full fledged witch.
They gain a talent to speak and interact with spirits of the deceased without any a.s.sistance. It has its own unique branch of magic called, "Spirit." They"re not all bad but it takes a few bad apples to ruin the bunch. Even Twilight sees them as imminent threats.
The last known witch died 500 years ago and is infamous for killing over 20,000 people in less than a week before being overwhelmed by the union of all the armies that existed in Hei"an then.
Steven: "Madelyn would never do anything like that."
Lilith: "I know she won"t, but everybody knows that power can corrupt."
Steven: "Then the homestead… it was worse than we thought?"
Lilith: "No… the homestead was a trap. We can find the real witch if we go back. She"s the one that had to give it to her. There"s no other explanation."
Headmistress: "You don"t have the resources. No matter the circ.u.mstances, n.o.body is allowed near the homestead."
Nothing has ever gone right in this country!
I slide down the chair a little and sulked. We should be going to the homestead and getting the real witch. I don"t know what we"ll do with her but she should be able to reverse it. She"s the one that gave it to her in the first place!
Steven: "Tsk."
Headmistress: "I"m sorry that this had to happen."
Steven: "Are witches that powerful?"
Headmistress: "Terrifying enough that Young Mi would attack your sister. You can be upset all you want but she was justified."
Young Mi eventually comes in. She stood next to the Headmistress with her head dipped. The look on her face was filled with regret.
Young Mi: "I"m sorry…"
Steven: "You should go back to being a stoic. Everyone loves you when you"re not frantic."
She sits by my side, silently.
Everything right now is now just one big waiting game…
Lilith: "Will Madelyn become a Witch?"
Steven: "No."
Headmistress: "I already sent word to Sefre… they"re sending people over as fast as they can."
A man walks in and pulls the Headmistress away to talk in private. The man was young, probably in his mid 20"s. He didn"t dress with any kind of authority but looked like he knows more than most.
The Headmistress walks him over to us and introduces him.
Headmistress: "Everyone, this man is the best White Mage we have available. He wants to break some news to you."
White Mage: "Madelyn is in a state of suspense. She"s fine and won"t turn to a Witch as long as she remains in her suspended state and doesn"t use ANY form of magic…"
Steven: "Go on…"
White Mage: "I… I know this must be sudden, but… I need to quarantine her and anyone else who shares her magic. Does anyone know if she has any servants or masters?"
Not any form of magic…
That must also include the magic she gets off me from our contract. Then, as her master, it"s only right that I do what has to be done to help.
Steven: "I"m her master…"
White Mage: "Just you? Do you have any others?"
Steven: "I also have a master…"
The White Mage brings out a small notebook and begins writing down everything I"ve recently said.
White Mage: "We would also have to quarantine them. Who is it?"
Steven: "Kanna Hisakawa…"
White Mage: "Where is she? Does she also have others connected?"
Steven: "No, none that I"m aware of; she lives in Everhand, Ostroven…"
Headmistress: "I"ll have an a.s.sociate in Everhand pick her up. This is very serious if it gets out of hand."
White Mage: "If they can"t make it, we"ll have no choice but to sever all your connections if we want to help Madelyn."
All?
I"ll do it to help but it sounds scary. I might lose the connection that was meant to be permanent.
Steven: "I… understand…"
Headmistress: "Don"t take it hard, we can reform them after Madelyn gets help."
The White Mage closes his notebook and walks away without a word…