THE MOMENT
"Might as well get through it so I can move on with my night...," Alicia made the decision as she walked through the halls of her hotel. She'd been putting off her latest apprentice wannabe by making the usual evening rounds to make sure everything was in order for her guests. After the important items were checked off her list, she decided to head to her office to finally greet her applicant. As much as she was avoiding the situation, it still served a purpose to have them wait; it was a good representation of what to expect while training. Anyone that seemed impatient was automatically disqualified. She entered her office and the young woman that was waiting rose to her feet with a smile.
"Thank you for meeting with me!" she began. Alicia ignored the attempt at pleasantries. She'd been through this too many times to pretend to care. She breezed by the woman with a tiny nod of acknowledgment and rounded her desk to sit down in front of her.
"I don't mean to be rude," Alicia looked at the woman up and down. "Ophelia was it?" she gestured for the woman to sit down again. "But, I do have other work to do, so let's get this over with. You want to learn witchcraft; why is that?"
"Because I can!" the woman giggled to herself; but, she quickly shook her head. "I'm sorry, I should explain that better. A few days ago I was still an NPC; but, I've Awakened as a Unique and learned about the multiverse. The first thing I wanted to explore was magic, and I've always been interested in the witchy side of things," she grinned. Alicia nodded half-heartedly as she listened. It was always the same story. Her talents for witchcraft were well-known across the multiverse and she was usually at the top of the list for recommendations. Unfortunately, not many of the people that dropped her name understood what witchcraft actually was.
"If you want to learn magic, you'll be better off at one of the countless magic academies; witchcraft is for the faint of heart," Alicia replied.
"Is there a difference?" Ophelia asked. By now, Alicia had gotten over her annoyance at the question. She'd realized it was always going to be part of the interview and learned to accept it. She nodded.
"Pretend the universe is a child's sandbox. With the proper imagination, the child can use their hands to mold the sand into anything they desire; that's what magic is. It uses your soul to shape the energies of the universe into desired outcomes. Now, imagine the child wants to do something more elaborate. They want to add fine details; but, the sand is too dry and won't cooperate. No matter what they try, the sand falls apart when they try smaller details. Through sheer frustration, the child accidentally hurts themself and begins to bleed on the sand. They then realize that the blood adds just enough moisture to the sand to allow them to create their vision. In the case of witchcraft, that 'blood' is the finite energy from your own soul. Little by little, every spell cast with witchcraft whittles your soul to nothing."
"So... witchcraft is stronger than magic?" Ophelia asked. The question took Alicia by surprise. Usually, her apprentice hopefuls were headed for the door after that explanation.
"At the cost of your soul...," Alicia nodded to make sure she got the point.
"At the cost of MY soul... or just souls...?" Ophelia asked. Alicia was suddenly hopeful. There were of course ways to make it work, but she was the first applicant that didn't give up at hearing the cost. Most of them just wanted magic and didn't think it through much further than that.
"A little of both," Alicia nodded. "You'd need to learn the basics and using alternatives is an advanced technique."
"I want to learn witchcraft," Ophelia nodded.
"If I accept you as an apprentice, you'll be required to stay and work at the hotel as part of your training," Alicia replied. "Do you know what this place is, what I am?"
"You're a vampire," Ophelia smiled. "And, this is a hotel for monsters, right? I don't mind staying here and working as long as you're really teaching me."
"Learning witchcraft is an undertaking that alters your soul from the very first lesson. Once you begin down this path, you must complete it."
"I will!" Ophelia sat up with an eager nod. "I won't go anywhere until you say I'm done!"
"You'll understand if I can't just take your hopeful word for it," Alicia replied. She opened a desk drawer and pulled out a clipboard. She slid it across the desk to Ophelia. "We'll need to formalize the-," Alicia didn't finish her sentence. Ophelia grabbed the nearest pen and signed her name.
"I won't disappear," Ophelia said. Alicia sat still for a moment and blinked away the moisture pooling in her eyes.
"I'm sorry! Did I mess up already!?" Ophelia asked.
"No, no," Alicia shook her head with a heavy sigh. "It's just that, I drove off every other applicant just by explaining witchcraft. I was beginning to think I'd never find a proper apprentice. Thank you," she said with a broad smile. "I'm going to be the best teacher you've ever had!"