Peter raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing near the basement?"
Velessa immediately stood up straighter. "Nothing!"
The woman smirked, her gaze sliding over Velessa like a hunter watching over their pray
"So this is the little dragoness?" She said, her voice soft but laced with something unreadable.
"Adorable."
Peter sighed. "Velessa, this is Caldreya. She'll be your tutor starting today. Try not to bite her."
Caldreya giggled at his remark, smacking his back a couple of times.
"There is a bigger chance that I will bite her. Fufufuf~"
Velessa tilted her head, unsure how to respond.
"Bite… me?" She muttered under her breath, stepping slightly behind Peter.
Peter raised an eyebrow.
"Please don't. She's already timid enough."
Caldreya gave a mischievous smile, eyes glinting. "Oh, I won't. Probably."
Velessa frowned. She was starting to wonder if this "tutor" would be more terrifying than the monsters Esme spoke about in her fairy tales.
"Let's get started, shall we?" Caldreya said cheerfully, already heading deeper into the manor without waiting.
Velessa glanced at Peter, uncertain.
"Do I really have to…?"
Peter gave her a push forward.
"You'll be fine. Probably."
He opened the door and walked outside.
"I will be back by evening. Listen to Caldreya and don't anger her."
Velessa watched him leave with a pout forming on her lips.
"Why does everyone assume I'll be the one causing trouble...?"
Caldreya leaned closer, grinning. "Because you look like trouble, dear."
"After all, you are a dragon."
Velessa narrowed her eyes. "You don't look so harmless either."
Caldreya's grin only widened. "Good. Then we'll get along just fine."
Caldreya took her by the wrist and pulled her closer into the sitting room.
Caldreya let go of Velessa's wrist and gestured theatrically.
"Lesson one: Never trust someone who smiles too much. Especially if it's me."
The older woman's voice echoed faintly ahead, melodic and strange. Her grin extended to the very edges of her face.
Velessa took a cautious step back. Thoughts of how Peter has found such a crazy witch flew through her head.
Caldreya raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by Velessa's hesitation.
"Oh, don't look at me like that."
She said, happily humming a song.
"I'm only slightly mad." She lifted her hands into the air.
"Madness, knowledge, and power are intertwined."
She said, as particles of light appeared around her.
"Each of them is a principle, a rule, a law. That governs the world of magic.
Velessa watched the floating particles with wide eyes, uncertain whether to be impressed or deeply concerned.
"The more you learn, the closer you get to understanding the world. And with understanding comes madness, knowledge of souls, of the fractures between thought and truth."
Caldreya's smile faded, her tone sharpening.
"The stronger you grow, the more clearly you see. You begin to merge with the world itself, and piece by piece, you lose who you once were."
But then, just as quickly, her grin returned, wide and gleaming.
"And the madder you become, the more you understand the cost of your actions. You start to see the strings-each one binding us to something greater."
Caldreya's eyes shone, catching the glimmering particles as they danced like fireflies caught in a storm.
"The strings..."
She whispered, her voice soft now, almost reverent.
"All tied to fate, to memory, to magic itself. Every spell pulls one. Every thought tugs another."
She stepped forward, the lights dimming into a quiet glow around her.
"But once you see the strings clearly… you can also see who's holding them."
Velessa felt a chill crawl up her spine.
"Oops, I lost myself ."
Caldreya giggled. She twirled, her green hair catching the soft light as she moved.
"Anyway," she said, her tone suddenly light and carefree.
"Magic lessons aren't all ominous metaphors and existential dread. Sometimes, we even set things on fire."
Velessa blinked. "That's… not exactly reassuring."
"Fufufu~"
Caldreya patted Velessa's head. Velessa crossed her arms.
"So are you going to teach me magic or…?"
Caldreya tapped her chin. "First, we have to test what kind of spark you carry."
She pulled out a small orb from her small bag hanging from her shoulder. It glowed faintly , pulsing with soft light .
"Each being carries an affinity towards magic. But each one of them receives a different one."
"This will tell us what your affinity leans toward. Even though I already have some suspicions about yours."
She gestured to a few black scales that were visible on Velessa's neck. Caldreya tossed it gently to Velessa, who caught the orb with both hands.
The moment her fingers closed around it, the glow intensified. Caldreya leaned in, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"…Interesting."
The light twisted sharply, the orb shining brighter once, twice, before dimming into a soft violet, laced with threads of black, red, and gold.
Caldreya's eyes lit up the moment the colors settled. She clapped her hands together, literally vibrating with excitement.
"Oh-ho! Look at you! Darkness, shadows, fire, and light?"
She twirled in place, her robe flying everywhere alongside her. "That's not an affinity-that's a declaration of chaos!"
"Most dragons are blessed with two, maybe three affinities at best. But you? You've got four."
She leaned in close, her eyes gleaming with barely contained glee. "Velessa, darling, do you even understand what we're witnessing? Opposing forces such as light and darkness existing in harmony, clashing and coiling around your soul like twin serpents. This isn't just rare… this is a legend in the making."
She let out a sharp squeal, practically bouncing in place. "I knew you'd be fun."
Velessa blinked, taking an unconscious step back from the overenthusiastic woman.
"Uh… is that a good thing?" She asked, unsure if she should be flattered or deeply alarmed.
Caldreya gasped.
"Good? Good? My dear, this is terrifyingly wonderful. You're a walking genius wrapped in potential. Dangerous, volatile, magnificent potential."
She reached forward, gently tapping the orb still glowing faintly in Velessa's hands."We're going to have so much fun together."
Velessa gulped, clutching the orb a little tighter.
"I don't think your idea of fun is the same as mine," she mumbled.
Caldreya simply laughed, spinning away with a flourish of her robes.
"Probably not. But don't worry, dear-madness is much more exciting when you've got company."
She paused, turning her head just enough for one of her eyes to peek from behind her hair.
"And trust me, you'll need it."
She opened her palm, and twelve magical circles bloomed into existence.
They hovered above her hand, each one spinning at its own rhythm, each etched with shifting runes that rotated in ways that defied logic. The room dimmed, as if even the light was holding its breath.
"Lesson two: Copy a magic circle from this tome."
She tossed a thick book toward Velessa, hitting her square in the face.
"And then another. And another. And another-until you think it's enough."
From the spinning circles, a rift cracked open, jagged and glowing.
"And then, create a spell. One that's yours alone."
"So?"
"Are you ready for your first true lesson, little legend?"