Motivation and Future

Caleb's weekend plans will be consisting in practicing the piano. His father was impressed by his progress. He had already had his own style and and the sound of the piano was less robotic when playing. Elias listened to his son's routine while Alisha read a book, listening to her son's music. When he finished, both of them praised him and gave him a flyer.

"Mozart Conservatory," Caleb read. The school specializes in advanced young talents —ideal for Caleb. Now that he is nearly 17, he have already choose his path. Next spring, his final year at Azulona will begin. Part of the school plan required mandatory learning courses for the students' futures.

The conservatory had its attention on Azulona thanks to several students, among whom Maya is one of them and, of course, Caleb. The academy decided to give a scholarship to the best student, no matter in which area he or she decided to participate. 

"We'll practice some old and new pieces and send a demo," Elías told his son. "You'll practice this month, and in the next month we'll send the demo."

"So soon?" Caleb remarked to his father.

"Azulona isn't the only school being offered the scholarship," his mother explain, putting the book she was reading on the table. "There are only fifteen scholarships and more schools are competing. And contest is a continental scale."

"Various schools from all provinces are competing," Elías affirmed seriously. "If you manage to win the scholarship, you'll go to study at the Academy."

Caleb looked at the flyer. There it was, a photo of the conservatory claiming to be the best in Eastern Bird and in the whole continent of Rodinia. He liked the idea of going there. It could be his chance to become a composer and even an orchestra conductor.

"I'll do it!" Caleb stated with determination. "I'm going to win that scholarship."

Caleb's path was growing up for success. At the same time, Alex's future was also taking shape, but in a different way. He had received a quick diagnosis from the doctor the day he went behind his parents' back, and he needed to mention to his parents what was happening.

His weight had dropped considerably since he started exercise. He had already loose 25 kilos in five months; wasn't normal, and combined with his lethargy and the cough, it was possible the cancer had returned.

He had been around nine years old when he first diagnosed, and for about a year and a half, he had to undergo various chemotherapy treatments. It was something that drained the family's savings, but they managed to pull through, and Alex survived. Old habits don't change easily, and his father kept smoking while the family's diet didn't change drastically either.

Only when Alex approached 90 kilos did his mother start worrying about potential diabetes. Alex's doctor spoke directly to his mother so that the necessary diagnoses could be run as soon as possible.

The doctor contacted Alex's mother upon receiving the results. Naturally, the woman was upset and, above all, terrified. It was confirmed that the dreaded tumor was in his right lung. It had returned more aggressively and was of considerable size. It needed to be surgically removed and he had to undergo chemotherapy once again.

The discussion began immediately, and Alex’s mother even threatened her father with divorce if he didn't quit smoking. Alex's father got angry. The idea of quitting smoking didn't convince him, and the fight escalated. Furthermore, the idea of putting his son through those procedures again wasn't exactly a great idea

"He almost left us in ruin!" she yelled at the mother, who was already crying not just from the diagnosis, but because she could never have a calm conversation. "Alex is not going to go that treatment again just to wipe out my savings."

Alex locked himself in his room and turned off his cell phone. He was scared—afraid that his family would tear apart because of him, that the tumor would spread to other organs, and above all, that he wouldn't make it this time. He cried all night and couldn't sleep. By dawn, his father had left, and his mother found him on the floor, eyes swollen but asleep.

Mrs Briner made a few phone calls to family and friends. She managed to convince her parents to go to their house and stay at their home. She needed to arranged her personal affairs. Meanwhile, Alex tried to process the news, something that annoyed his grandfather. On the third day of his lockdown in the house, his grandfather confronted him.

"Take a shower and get dressed," he ordered, pulling his grandson out of his room and leading him to the bathroom. "You aren't going to fix anything with that attitude."

Surprised, Alex looked with a mix of fear and astonishment at his grandfather, who shoved him into the shower. Alex immediately obeyed and began to take the shower.

"You have two options," his grandfather explained while tossing the dirty clothes into a hamper. "Continue with that shitty attitude that won't lead you anywhere, or face the problem with courage."

Alex said nothing. He finished showering, and both stepped out of the bathroom in silence.

"Now that your time is limited, what do you want to do?" After his grandson finished to got dressed they both went to the kitchen for something to eat. “You can waste time, or try to make your most enphimeral desires a reality?"

There were many things he wanted to do, but he always forgot them—between schoolwork, his mother's demands, and even fear. He thought of Cristina. Even though they held hands, always ate lunch together, and occasionally went out, they felt more like friends. Some classmates and close friends told him he should speak up. For the first time, he questioned whether he actually wanted to work in his father's profession in the future.

"I don't want to..." he managed to say. His grandfather shouted at him to speak up loud he didn’t hear anything. "I don't want to die!"

Alex raised his voice, and with a mix of fear and determination, managed to say he wouldn't let himself be intimidated.

"I'm want to try. That way I won't have any regrets."

His grandfather congratulated him and sighed with relief. That day, he made a list to organize what he wanted to do. Leaving his mandatory duties aside, the list included doing some portraits, confessing his feelings to Cristina, and seeing the ocean.

"School can wait," his grandfather confessed, and very discreetly shared a secret with him. "You know, I never finished middle school. I never needed it. While she's busy with the divorce, we'll do all the wishes from the list."

Alex looked at the list and saw Cristina's name. The first thing he wanted was to return to school. The next day, accompanied by his grandfather, he arrived at Azulona, where his friends welcomed him. After a few pats on the back and words of good luck, his grandfather left him.

When Alex's grandfather got back into his car, Caleb, Hilda, and Cristina arrived at school and saw the commotion. Upon spotting Alex, Cristina hurried over looking happy, and Caleb felt a pang of pain and jealousy. He watched Alex greet Cristina, and her face radiated happiness. He had to hurry. He tried to reach his friend but at that moment he saw Alex pull her aside to an isolated part of the school grounds. Caleb stopped and watched them disappear into the building.

"You've lost," Caleb heard Hilda say in a mocking tone. She had also witnessed the scene. "You took too long."

Hilda left him at the entrance and went to class. Caleb sighed softly, dragged his feet with a bit of sadness and with his gaze fixed on the floor, went to class.

"I'm glad you're okay," Cristina said happily, seeing that Alex had returned. "You've had us all worried, plus..."

"I want to tell you something," Alex interrupted her. Cristina fell silent, waiting for what her friend was about to say.

Alex's hands were sweating and trembling. He took a breath and looked Cristina in the eyes.

"I like you!" Alex almost yelled, but managed to say the sentence out smoothly. Cristina blushed. "I've liked you for a while and I..." He can't continue. Nerves were betraying him.

She didn't speak, didn't move and could only stare at the ground. She didn't know what to do or say. Even though her friend had already told her about Alex's feelings, hearing it directly from him was different. Cristina took a breath, and to break the silence, she stepped closer to Alex and told him:

"I think... I like you too." She was trembling as she said it, which surprised Alex, who let out a nervous laugh.

"I think we're both fools," Alex said, laughing a little and taking Cristina's hand. Feeling calmer after hearing her confession, he managed to say with courage. "Let's be a couple."

"Yes..." Cristina managed to whisper with a smile right before the first class bell rang.

Cristina took Alex's hand. Inside Alex's mind, everything was chaos. The fear of his illness was still there, but the happiness of taking that step and confessing to Cristina kept him joyful throughout the day.

Circe watched them pass as she headed to her own classroom. She made a smile, satisfied to see her friend happy. She saw it—she could catch sparks of orange and lilac sparks surrounding Cristina. After talking with her mother, she knew she couldn't keep ignoring her friend's reality.

"Maybe she is blessed by a moon," Circe meditated as she walked to her class. "A moon's blessing is always emotional. It would be nice if that moon is Selene"

Meanwhile, Hilda was in her own thoughts. She didn't have drawing class that day and sighed with relief. She found it boring and was looking for something more aligned with her objectives. She also began to search for good fashion schools in Cobalt. There was only one in the province, located in Brandt, the capital. 

With a bit of help from one of those computer nerds, she managed to connect to the school internet to search for schools in other provinces. She found one she liked. The problem was that the school was in Neige

Going to Neige for a couple of days to work was an entirely different matter than studying there for several years. She didn't studied the language and so, she can't talk it. Plus, she discovered a minimum GPA was required for admission.

One year until she turned 18. Only once she reached that age she could leave the town and decided what to do with her life. She could start with modeling for some runways. She could even go to East Bird to study; surely there'd be a decent school there for her to continue her education.

Hilda decided to head home to relax. She had no plans to go out with friends or any suitors that day. When she got home, she found the place empty. That bothered her—the lonlyness, the silence, and that squeezing sensation in her chest: a feeling she discovered it was bothering after seeing Cristina with Alex.

Ever since Maya proposed it, twice a week, Cristina went to the blue witch's house to practice her singing. During those moments, Cristina noticed the discipline in her friend had. The Rigel witch was chasing perfection; she was chasing a goal.

While she sang, butterflies fluttered around Maya, and Cristina could touch and feel them. It felt as though the butterflies' wings were made of silk or velvet. They were different from the butterflies she had seen when she arrived to Espliego.

Maya had accepted that she felt something special for Cristina. She began to have the habit to brush her hair and dressed up with nice clothes before her friend's arrival. That day, she even thought about inviting her somewhere special. She wanted to confess her feelings and planned to do so after her lesson.

During that day's lesson, Maya noticed her friend was already improving: her vocal range was expanding, and not only that—her friend was genuinely happy while she sang. She got fascinated when those orange, violet, and sometimes pink sparks appeared. There there is, finally she felt the magical frequency of Cristina.

It was a strange magic, one she couldn't recognize. Dangerous, perhaps, because Cristina wasn't trained, because she didn't recognize her own magic That power was a combination of stellar and lunar magic. There was only one question: What kind of divine entity had blessed her?

After the lesson, Maya asked Cristina why she wanted to sing, what was her personal goal.

"My grandmother sang," Cristina replied with nostalgia and emotion. “Listening to her songs was fun, so I wanted to have fun while singing and transmit that feeling to everyone who wants to hear.”

Maya hadn't expected that answer. She hadn't someone to do it purely for fun. Normally, people wanted to be famous, to travel, to sing popular songs. Or, like her, to protect, to fight.

"Make peoeple happy?" Maya asked.

"Yes, happy," Cristina repeated. Maya noticed she was blushing. "For example, lately I've seen Alex depressed."

“Ah, you’re talking about your friend?"

"My... he’s my boyfriend," Cristina confessed with a bit of shyness. "If my singing can cheer him up, then I'll sing."

Maya remain silence. Listening to that confession made her feel terrible; she hadn't expected it. Abruptly, Maya told her friend to head home, that the lesson has ended and they could see each other at school. That night, Maya meditated.

"Why didn't I notice?" she asked herself. "She was always close to Alex."

She watched some butterflies fluttering outside her window. Some were injured, others were flickering erratically. Something or someone was attacking them with corrupted magic. But Maya's mind wasn’t thinking about that. She still felt hurt about what Cristina told her earlier. 

The Fruitful month arrived along with a week of vacation for the students. A day before the weekend, Cristina and Maya return to home early. There was no drawing class due an illness of professor Maldonado, and that day Alex was in the hospital.

When they arrived at Maya's house, her friend's mother greeted them—a middle-aged woman with straight, jet-black hair worn without any accessories. Her large eyes always expressed some emotion. That day, she was happy to see both young arriving early and decided to prepare some tea and cookies.

15 minutes later, Maya’s mother entered into her daughter’s room with the snacks and she sat with them. Cristina discovered that talking with tht woman was comfortable

"Her singing has improved a lot," Maya said to her mother and then said to Cristina: "Have you ever thought about becoming a professional singer?”

"I'd never thought about it," Cristina replied.

Cristina though that she likes singing, but she had never considered it as a professional career. The idea thrilled her. She smiled, causing Maya to lower her gaze, blushing.

"We're doing what's necessary for Maya to enter the Mozart Conservatory," Sylvia, Maya's mother, told to Cristina. "We're going to try and get a recommendation."

"Aren't you going for the scholarship?" Cristina asked wth curiosity and astonishment. Days ago, Caleb told her about the scholarship.

"It's easier to get in through a recommendation," Maya explained after taking a sip of tea. "My teacher will send a demo in a couple of weeks to try and secure an interview."

"We can record some songs for you too," Sylvia told Cristina.

“I would like to try!” Said Cristina with excitement. The idea of being a singer appealed to her, and even more so because this opportunity opened a door for her to have a dream of her own. After a while, Cristina and Maya said goodbye. 

Sylvia was interested in Cristina; she had noticed her frequency, her magic. Those orange and lilac sparks also intrigue her.

In her own room, Cristina imagined herself as a singer. Now it was her turn. She wanted to follow her grandmother's legacy. She confirmed that she wanted to sing and make people happy.

★★★★★

The highway that divides Espliego was always full of cars, trucks and semi-trailers coming and going to places only the drivers knew. A young man of roughly 30 years old watched. With a body that denoted his training as a swimmer, the man seemed to be searching for something.

His light blue eyes had a white glow in the center. That gaze was piercing, serious, yet displayed a clear indifference to what was happening on the road. His hair, already disheveled due the wind, had polar blue color, darkened by Rigel.

"Found you!" said the young man with that piercing gaze.

The color of his eyes shifted to a deep blue, almost black. With a terrifying calmness, the young man walked toward a person who remained paralyzed. Just inches away, he stopped and observed him. That individual tried to escape, tried to speak; it was obvious the athletic youth possessed more power, more magic.

He was paralyzed; his magic couldn't adapt and began to consume him—an orange, corrupted magic with a fiery nature. This caused the athletic youth to step backward. His gaze locked onto something else. But it was already too late.

The athlete was beginning to panic, which reflected in his magic. Some yellow and blue sparks flew from his hand; almost immediately, he used them to create a shield and protect himself from that corrosive magic. The individual he had attacked with his magic was being consumed by his own magic.

"Interesting," the athlete whispered. The individual consumed by his own magic had vanished, devoured by fire; now only remnants and a lingering smell of burnt clothing and something else remained. "Your star is burning out. I wonder why your clan desires you right now."

The athlete began walking home. There was still time, or so he believed. Besides, it wasn't his duty to eliminate the orange clan; what happened just then was out of a whim, because that individual had attacked him first. Furthermore... the Rigel clan wouldn't take long to arrive, and he didn't want to get involver in an interrogation.

★★★★★

"Hey..." Hilda said with indifference as she stepped out of the bathroom. Cristina was surprised to see Hilda with such a melancholy attitude.

"Is everything okay?" Cristina asked, somewhat confused.

Hilda entered her sister's room still in a bathrobe. Cristina began to worry.
"Have you ever felt like you don't know what to do?" Hilda asked, getting straight to the point.

Cristina stayed silent, remembering her first days in Espliego. She sat down next to her sister.

"When I arrived in this city, everything was new and strange to me," Cristina replied. "A bit thanks to our dad and my friends, I managed to find what I like."
Hilda just fell silent, and it felt somewhat awkward. It was truly rare for her to be this quiet; Cristina frightened and felt concerned with that attitude of her sister. 

"You know I've want to be a fashion designer," Hilda commented while getting dressed. "I found a school I liked, but it's in Neige."

"And what's the problem?" Cristina asked.

"I don't speak the language."

"I can help you," Cristina said. Maya helped her sing; Alex also helped in drawing class. So if she could help someone, this was her moment. "I don't know much of the language but I'm sure I can teach you something."

"Really?" Hilda asked as she finished dressing. "Then help me with math and history too." 

Cristina accepted to help her without hesitation.