“Repelling spell.. Repelling spell… What was that again??” Asked Mia. She turned to Oyen, but Oyen wasn’t listening.

He stood at the edge of the boat, ready to jump at any time. Sensing the dangerous aura leaking from the wicked sorcerer, her hand crept to her pocket.

My wand, my wand, where the hell is my wand..?

“Supresiseo!”

“Liberior!”

Mia had pointed her wand at Edgar at the same time he cast Supresiseo on her. She blocked his attack with a protective barrier. A second’s late she would end up frozen like a stone, unable to move under his suppression.

Two streaks of lights met at the center, glimmering in red and blue light. To her dismay, Edgar blue mana was too strong against hers.

The gondola swayed ferociously like a ship tossed on a stormy sea.

Oyen had long jumped to the ground and abandoned her. At a time of desperate measure, one took the side of the powerful one. He threw an innocent look at her as if threatened by Edgar and his children's lives were on the line.

“Traitor,” Mia muttered under her breath.

Sweats rolled down her face.

Edgar marched towards her with his wicked smile.

Mia knew she was in terrible danger of losing her cookies and sweets. Her feet stumbled, she was an inch away from falling into the cold lake. She held the boat tight with her left arm, supporting herself from falling.

“Refllelo! Obliti!” Mia shouted, spilling random spells out from her mouth. But his mana was strong and her fear was even stronger that her concentration had dropped. She couldn’t summon her mana.

Mia frowned, she couldn't hold on any longer. Her hand trembled and the wand slowly slipped away from her grip. She sank deeper into the boat floor.

Edgar lifted his staff higher, muttering a spell under his breath. A strong force pulled the wand away from Mia and landed in his hand.

Mia stumped on the boat floor.

She was once again defeated by the Wicked Edgar.

1891 against 0000.

Yes, for ten years, Mia had never won even a single match.

Even when she had turned him to a goat by accident, Edgar still put up a fierce fight and knocked her down. He chewed her long hair and ruined her most sacred possession. Yes, her hair was her most sacred possession.

"At least you learned something the whole time you hid in the flower field,” Edgar said as he threw the wand back to her. “Did you get a new blouse for me?”

“I wasn’t hiding, I was practicing the whole day. And yes, I got the same design.” Mia muttered and rolled her eyes as she stood.

Mia tailed behind Edgar and entered the cottage. She headed straight to the kitchen, where the pot and knife had been waiting for her arrival. They had caught her sneaking at the field across the lake that afternoon and reported about her dilly-dallying.

As Mia kept herself busy in the kitchen, once in a while she glanced at Edgar who was reading a scroll by the fireplace. She gathered her courage and only after a long time did she dared to speak.

“Master,” She said finally while stirring the lamb stew in the pot. “I heard the townsfolk talking about things... like fulfilling quest... And chasing destiny earlier in the town.”

“You don’t need to fulfill quest nor chasing destiny, Mia.” Said Edgar. Disturbed by her sudden conversation, he put down the scroll. His eyes wandered to the orb and the star chart, and the books stacked high to the ceiling.

“I’m just curious, master. Why are the young man and women so eager to fulfill their quest? They talked about slaying monsters, hunting dragons, and –“

“And kill sorcerer and sorceress?” Edgar cut her off before she finished her sentences.

“Saving humanity and princess…?” Mia muttered. She moved her eyes to the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing ever.

“Enough with this topic, Mia,” Edgar snapped. The chair trembled with fear when it sensed his frustration. “We are not to discuss this ever again. Not when you’re living under my roof.”

Mia stood silent and scooped the stew into the bowl. She was smart enough to know when to shut up.

“You are destined to be a sorceress. And that is what you are.” Said Edgar over dinner when he saw her acting awkward.

“You always said that I am a bad one, a terrible apprentice,” Mia blurted. There was a slight tone of complaint and disappointment in her voice. She put down the spoon and gave a teary, puppy-eyes look to Edgar.

“You are the apprentice of Edgar Dendragon the Great Sorcerer. Yes indeed, you are terrible…” Edgar spoke in a serious tone. It was rare for Mia to hear such words coming from his mouth. “…but you can be better. You have the potential to become a great, powerful sorceress. You, Mia Dendragon, the hopeless apprentice of the wicked and fearful Edgar Dendragon the Great Sorcerer, are born to be a sorceress. Now, no more talking about quest and destiny. Don’t listen to the conversations of those commoners. We are sorcerer and sorceress, Mia, and we do not share the same fate and destiny as those commoners.”

“How long do we have to live like this, Master? Living under the mask and hiding under suppression and false accusation?” Mia said gloomily.

She heard what those townsfolk said in the town about hunting sorcerers and sorceresses and putting their fear to end. Why did the commoners hate them so much?

Not all sorcerers and sorceress are wicked, but most of the good sorcerer and sorceress was indeed dead. Hunted, tortured and killed under the new King’s law. Only a small community survived by putting up a fight. They were defending their selves, but ended up with the title ‘the wicked one, the villains, the criminals.’

“Perhaps, not for long,” Said Edgar. He took a good look at Mia, realizing there was fear and sadness in her questions. “The darkest night has almost come to an end. A new dawn is coming. A new star is born. A star that will bring change to the fate of our kind.”

“Have you been plotting the stars again, master? I thought you hate reading the stars chart. Didn’t you say only the weak priest and priestess did divination?” She asked.

“Indeed. Weak, aren’t they? Pretending that they were powerful to stand by the King’s side, giving out advice and fake divination. They borrowed the knowledge of our kind and turned it against us when in truth, they couldn’t even fathom half of it. Stupid priest.” Edgar spoke sourly. He held a strong grudge against the old priest who stood by the King's side.

“Pumpkin! Pudding! Master, we can’t say the bad word in front of our dinner!” Mia yelled, her round pink cheek puffed.

“Hahaha…yes, stupid. Sorry, pumpkin pudding.” Edgar smiled, two dimples formed on his cheek.

They broke into loud laughter. How he wished these days would last forever.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Mia… Mia… Someone… doo’… knock…” A black hand crept from under the bed, tugging her blanket and waking her up.

“…wh-at…” Mia yawned. She kicked the cold hand at the edge of the bed. Covering her ears with a pillow, she pretended that she didn't hear anything.

“Doo’...knock...” Baddie tugged her blanket again, stronger this time. Her blanket fell on the ground.

“Uhhhh… Who dares to disturb this beauty’s sleep?” Mia muttered.

She forced herself out of the bed and dragged her feet down the stairs. Halfway the stairs, she stopped and ran back to her bedroom. She grabbed the wand on the bedside table and rushed down again. Passing by Sir Skeleton, he pointed at the door and her wand. Mia nodded at his signal.

Whoever came to visit at midnight was rarely a kind visitor. Each one of their friends knew the Wicked Edgar’s commandment well;

Thou shall not disturb one’s beauty sleep.

Who dares to infuriate him? For sure, it wasn’t their customers. The enchantments hid the cottage and the mist shrouded their island from dusk to dawn. Mia was sure she had called the boat back in the evening.

But enemies wouldn’t knock on the door, right? Upstairs, Mia heard Edgar’s light footsteps.

Mia opened the door, slow and cautious. Her wand pointed out and she had a spell in her head. Someone in a black cloak marched to and fro at the front door.

“Elena… What’s got into you? How dare you disturb our beauty sleep? We’re not like you,” Mia paused and let out a big yawn. She put down her wand the moment she saw her. It was only Elena. Annoying Elena. “We need our beauty sleep, or our face might morph like you.”

“Mia, don’t be rude. It’s not nice to constantly remind others of what they looked like,” Said Edgar, making his appearance in his white nightgown.

Mia glanced at his tidy hair. Unlike hers, he combed his hair before he went down.

“Edgar, you and I, we need to talk,” Said Elena. She took off her hood and revealed her head; smooth skin, round eyes, purplish-black eye bags, and crooked nose - A result of one of Mia's accidental spell. She wasn’t as bad as their words meant. In fact, she was quite pretty and attractive. However, her mouth was foul and obscene. She had annoyed Edgar and Mia countless times. Elena was a sorceress who lived closest to them. Although they rarely got along well, she was still considered a good friend.