Trustful lies

I walk around my room as I hear that I have to digest a lot of poison. I become a little bit scared, but she says it has some cure. I feel like hot or cold water just washed over my shoulder, and I feel good that I will not die. But for now, I pack all my clothes and all my things and make sure no one follows me. I look at the window to see if I can jump, but eventually, it's too high. So, I look into the fairy's eyes, trying to understand what I will do.

'So, give me all the poison you have because you need to disappear. If they see a bunch of herbs flying around me, they would think something's wrong, so just hide it in my bag.'

She knows the plan slowly, and she goes into my bag, squeezing her big head in it, and I am ready for my strange adventure. I begin walking out of my room, going toward the field; it's faster to the woods, and I can hear her telling me to go left and go to Sarat. I listen to her, so after I get out from this place, the Magic Tower, I head towards the woods. First, I go through the field; it's so quiet, as if even speaking a little bit will echo all around. So, I'm quiet as a mouse and start walking slowly until I reach the woods. The problem is, it's the middle of the night, and everything is dark, hard to see. My heart is pounding so fast as I notice small steps all around. I feel shivers down my spine, begin walking fast and faster, just not to let anything here catch me, as if I am a rabbit running from a pack of wolves.

Eventually, after running so fast and panting from the long distance, I finally find the cave that the fairy was talking about. I go inside and see a little bed created from leaves. It's interesting.

I never expected that. I go toward it and at first, just try to touch it because I don't know if it will be a prank or something more dangerous, or will it be our real bed for sleep. The fairy looks at me and rolls her eyes as she feels my anxiety. She sits on my shoulder and begins to tell me her unsatisfied wishes. So, from her annoying chatter, I just sit and want to shut her mouth up. She looks at me so happily, as if she achieved something. She literally sounds annoying. I just respect her because she helped me so much. So, I look at the bag and see the herbs. There are three, thankfully. Poisonous mushrooms are the only ones that I can identify, and two others look like a flower with a beautiful orange color, and the other one is just a fruit. But for some reason, my instincts just tell me not to touch them, but I have to, in case things become more than I expected.

I cut each of them in half, so I eat the first half, and nothing happens. So, I sit on the bed, happily. I look at the fairy, smiling that nothing happened, but after a few seconds, I don't even comprehend. I begin to see colors changing, red to blue, yellow to green, the light slowly dancing around my head. I start getting dizzy. I don't understand what the hell is happening around me. So, I sit, trying to control myself by drawing, but I feel like I am just a drawn woman. Instead of not remembering anything, I can remember everything. So, I look at the fairy, and I feel so funky as she tries to move her hand around me, and now she has six hands. Oh, so beautiful. The more time goes by, the more I feel drunk.

I get until the fairy lets me sit and close my eyes. I close them and try to focus until at some point, I can't transform into any shapes I want just by thinking about it. So, I think about a beautiful statue on my mother's desk. I feel myself transforming into it. I feel like nothing, like my legs are numb, my head is numb, I don't even feel my body, as if I am a real statue. I only begin to see what my mother does. She begins to write some letters and do some duties. But suddenly, something interesting happens. I see my best friend getting closer to my mother, with her smile on her face. I never saw her so cheerful before. I just look at them, wondering what business my best friend has with my mother. Did Sylvia do anything to my mother? So, I sit on some chair and begin to listen to every word she says.

'So, I have to tell you my report that all the reserves here are checked and everything is in our better ways. But recently, things are not good. She's technically doing dirty things with some wizard here. She tried to seduce him, getting closer to him, and then she tried to use her magic, the one you're practicing on, to make him pass out until she took what she wanted. I tried to tell her not to, but she never listened. Please, let her understand that what she is doing is so wrong.'

I was so shocked. She framed me as if I am a shit. What the hell? I didn't expect that. I was so shocked, my heart even sank. I was suspicious of her activities, but I never thought she could easily accuse me without even thinking of mercy. Like, I never talked to her. I always talked well about her. Oh, God. But this was my reaction. My mother suddenly hits a desk with all her powers, grinding her teeth.

She yells at Sylvia and lets her out. She sits and puts her hand on her head, and I can see some tears falling down. My heart breaks slowly, like a glass with low noises cracking slowly but also suddenly. My mother grabbed the statue that I was in and looked at it so hard with her eyes staring. I panicked and got out of it, and opened my eyes in the cave. I had cold sweat and tears in my eyes, wondering what I was seeing. Was it an illusion, or just our reality that no one speaks about? I felt shivering on my body. I couldn't feel my limbs, but I could feel one thing: the mana capacity getting bigger, as I expected. The fairy was sitting, just looking at me. But I could see from her eyes, even if they were tiny, that she was so worried. I couldn't move anything now, but my only wish was to find that truth. After three days of sitting, not even moving a little bit, I could feel the hurt in my bones. I looked at Alia, wishing for the things that I can't talk about because I needed to get the other half of the poison.

I got the other half, but this time things changed. I had the same illusional hallucination, but I could feel a little bit of resistance. I began to build it, not as intense as the first time, but the fairy told me that I had to focus. So, I focused on my emotions, trying to adjust to what happened. As I did this, I felt all my limbs getting more powerful. I was getting stronger every minute, just by focusing.

At some point I sit until the fairy allows me to, closing my eyes. I concentrate, attempting to transform into shapes at will. I imagine a beautiful statue on my mother's desk, feeling myself transform into it. I become numb, as if I am a real statue. I witness my mother writing letters and performing her duties. Suddenly, I see my best friend approaching my mother, wearing an unusually cheerful smile. I observe them, wondering why my best friend is interacting with my mother. Did Sylvia do something to her? Soldiers sit nearby, engaged in conversation.

I listen to every word she says, 'So, I have to report that all reserves have been checked, and everything is going well, except recently. There's trouble. She's involved with a wizard here, trying to seduce him and using the magic you've been practicing. She made him pass out to achieve her desires. I tried to dissuade her, but she wouldn't listen. Please make her understand that what she's doing is wrong.'

I was shocked. She framed me as something terrible. I was suspicious of her, but I never imagined she'd accuse me so easily, without mercy. I've always spoken highly of her. My mother, furious, hits the desk with all her power, grinding her teeth. She yells at Sylvia and dismisses her. As she sits, tears fall, and my heart shatters slowly, like glass with faint noises crackling, abruptly, my mother grabs the statue I was in, studying it intensely with her eyes. Panicked, I exit and open my eyes in the cave, sweating and tearful, wondering if it was an illusion or our reality, a secret no one talks about.

I shiver uncontrollably, unable to feel my limbs, except for the growing mana capacity. The tiny fairy, looking at me with worry, sits silently. After three days, unable to move, bones aching, I ponder over things I can't express, needing the other half of the poison.

I acquire the other half, experiencing similar hallucinations but with a bit of resistance. I focus on emotions, adjusting to what happened. As I do this, my limbs grow stronger every minute. Mentally exhausted and hungry, my face becomes pale, eyes slightly reddened. I can even see my bones. Physically weakened, my trained muscles vanish. Disappointed, I consider a year's break for health.

I get up, feeling uncomfortable. Weak, I head back to the Magic Tower. Mages react differently: some glare, some worry, some don't care. I head straight to my mother, noticing the statue's disappearance. Puzzled, I start a conversation to clarify things. 'Mother, I've heard Sylvia's talking behind my back. Can you explain?'

I act ignorant, shocked when my mother slaps me. She accuses me of doing unacceptable things, known throughout the Tower. I'm confused; those are my secrets. I try to explain, but my mother avoids eye contact, reluctantly listing the accusations. I bite my lip, imagining how much my best friend maligned me. My heart sinks; I risked my life for her. Hurt, I confide in my mother, expressing my guilt, workload, and lack of association with any men, except for a girl with a goldfish memory.

My mother looks at me, seemingly understanding. Tears fall, expressing her anger and disappointment. She consoles me, casting a spell to soothe herself, then whispers, smiling at me, as if her cold heart had thawed. 'I trust you more than anyone. Wizards warned me never to trust your friends. But choose wisely. Friends can betray you in seconds. Do you want her in jail? We can handle it easily.'

I contemplate revenge but decide against it. Hurting others isn't the solution. Revenge might hurt me more than her. I decline, focusing on work, cutting ties, and hoping she'll leave.