Chapter Three

I looked at what's inside the door and saw that it was stairs going downwards. I looked up at Professor Xander's face to see what he is up to but he just told me that it leads to his laboratory. I started wondering if he's gonna slice me open or something. I felt scared and the sofa I was sitting on suddenly got sliced into two.

"I'm not gonna do anything to you. My laboratory is a much better space for you to release your magic than destroying my office. It has seals to control the magic output. I use it to try experimental spells. Nothing deadly, of course." He explained.

I still have some apprehension on going down those stairs but he's right, I have been destroying his office. He's not gonna do something to me right?

Let's trust him. He's my professor anyway. Maybe I can slice him like the sofa, if he tried anything fishy. 

I then glanced at the sofa and the professor seemed to see that action and just chuckled while shaking his head. His chuckle sounds cute.

He's younger than you Audrey, he's like in his early 20s and you're already 35. You're gonna get locked up.

I ignored the thought and went down the stairs following Professor Xander. It took us a long time to reach the bottom, we probably went 3 floors down and the professor's office is on the 2nd floor. There's a door at the bottom, he opened it and there's a huge room inside. It was pretty bright inside considering that this place is underground.

"There's a rune up there that lights this place up." He explained as I was staring up looking where the light was coming from.

I nodded at his explanation and entered the room. There was really nothing much in the room. The floor has stone tiles. There's an elevated floor in the middle that looks like a stage, on the left side of that stage, there's a small gazebo, and on the right side, there's what looks like an herb garden.

"Nice place, right?" He asked as I looked around in amazement.

"Were you the one who created this, professor?" I asked.

"No, I just inherited this from the former magic professor." He explained.

He led me to the stage and looked at me.

"Now, answer my questions honestly." He said.

Uh-oh.

A small flash of lightning appeared.

"No need to be that scared. I just want to know how many times have you had an outburst like that?" He asked and I tilted my head showing my confusion.

"Today was the first time that happened." I explained.

"That is not possible." He said in disbelief.

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"First of all, your control of your magic is terrible. Second, outbursts like yours happen only when the magic inside you is too much, that's why with only a slight change in your feelings it already materializes. Third, I taught you magic since first year and you were really terrible at it. I thought your aptitude was a lie." He explained and while he was explaining flashes of lightning kept on appearing, it was so embarrassing but the more embarrassed I was, the more the lightning got bigger and brighter.

"So what you're trying to say is?" I asked, not really understanding his explanation.

"It means, you do not pay attention to my lectures. Magic is a part of our life. We need to use magic, we need to let out our magic or it will go berserk like what is happening now.” He reprimanded and I just looked at him sheepishly.

“Imagine a glass full to the brim with water. What will happen if you shake it a little? The water will spill right? That's like your body full with your magic, right now. Now, you're telling me that this is the first time it happened, right?" He asked, looking for a confirmation from me and I nodded.

There was no memory from the former Audrey about her magic going berserk. She was really terrible at magic too.

"It's not possible because you're terrible at producing anything with your magic when I was teaching you. You can't even produce a decent fire, water, or even lightning, can't move the wind and earth, let's not even talk about light and dark magic attributes. In short, I felt hopeless at your magic before. So how can someone full to the brim of magic power not produce results?” He asked and I just stared at him, not knowing the answer.

“It could be because you have not enough magic left, that's why you could barely do things with magic. So now how can someone who can't control her magic deplete it so that you can't produce magic anymore?” He asked again but I really have no answers to his questions.

“And you said this is the first time it happened and honestly, with what I can see, you have a huge amount of magic in you. You must have used a huge amount of magic to deplete it every single day. With this, I can't doubt that you have a very high magic aptitude. Try to remember again, did this happen before or were you using a huge amount of magic before?" He asked solemnly.

I stared at him and tried my best to remember any incidents but no, there was nothing.

"I really don't have any memory of it, could I have forgotten when I hit my head yesterday?" I asked.

"Hmmm… that is one of the possibilities." He agreed while thinking deeply.

"One of the possibilities? There are still more?" I asked and his eyes widened. 

It seems like he didn't want to tell me that.

"Yeah but my other theory needs a little bit more research." He replied.

"Can I know?" I asked.

"When I'm done with my research. Now, I need you to release some of your magic here so it will stop overflowing." He said and changed the topic.

I didn't ask further and tried to follow his instructions but I realize that I actually don't really know how to.

"Um… professor, can we have a remedial class for the fundamentals of magic?" I asked.

"Sure. Which part?" He asked.

"Ummm… the part on how to produce magic? Also if we use magic to release the excess magic how is the magic within us replenished?" I asked innocently.

"You mean to tell me, you want me to teach you everything from day 1 again." He said. 

He looked very displeased.

Can you blame him, Audrey? That's 1 year worth of lectures.

But it wasn't me who didn't pay attention. It was the former Audrey. I'm not the best student on earth but at least I do study.

After practicing my magic the rest of the day, I finally arrived at my room. I am so tired, I just wanted to collapse in bed and wake up tomorrow. 

"Would you like to eat dinner now, my lady?" Carmella asked.

"Yes, please." I replied.

Carmella got busy with my dinner preparations while I reorganized what I learned today.

It seems like my capability to hold magic is quite huge but for some reason I was not able to make use of it before. 

I was quite terrible at magic for someone who has talent for it. According to Professor Xander, I'm depleting my magic every day that I'm only able to hold the bare minimum amount of magic. Magic also replenishes itself when you're not using it, it's like blood, if you lose blood, your body will regenerate again to make up for that lost blood.

Professor Xander taught me the fundamentals of magic again and finally I was able to produce a small fire. I thought it would be easy creating things with magic. I need to keep on practicing until I actually have the right amount of control to produce my expected result. It was hard to find that balance.

I spent the whole day underground but was only able to produce fire, water and lightning on my will and not by sudden outburst. I had also unintentionally skipped potion class. I only remembered that I still have class when the professor told me it's time to go home since it's getting late. Imagine my shock when he told me it's already the 17th hour. 

No wonder I felt so tired and hungry, I haven't eaten anything other than breakfast. When Carmella arrived with my food. I wolfed it down. I can be a proper lady another day but I'm terribly hungry now. Carmella looked shocked with my action. She has probably been wondering what has happened to me. 

"Carmella, be honest with me. Tell me what you think about me now?" I asked after I finished eating.

"My lady seems to be maturing now. She is turning into a fine lady like her late mother." She replied.

"You have just seen me wolf down my dinner, right?" I asked her.

"Yes, but it's also the first time I've seen my lady eat that much, it made me happy. I think the lady needs to eat more.” She explained.

The former Audrey barely ate anything. She has a very little appetite, other than that, the food served to her is quite small also. She was not allowed to eat with her father's family. She usually eats her meals in her room. 

I can't even say she was living. It's like she's a doll that follows her father's command. It's sad remembering her life. Carmella and others tried so hard to get her to live for herself but she preferred quietly shutting herself in her room and reading books.

I'm also not the type of person who goes out and has fun every other night but even I still have some sort of life outside work and my home. I do meet up with my friends no matter how rare that occasion is. 

"Carmella starting today, I would change from being passive and just following orders to someone who is worthy to be the head of the House of Garrick. I'm done with acting meek. It also looks like I'm beginning to be an eyesore to them. What happened yesterday is only the beginning, it's my wake up call. I can't ignore what happened and continue being silent anymore because they would definitely not think twice in killing me to achieve what they want. Would you still stand by me Carmella?" I asked her sincerely.

"Yes, my lady. Whatever my lady has decided to do, I will follow." She replied resolutely.

I hope with this, she won't notice that I'm not the former Audrey.