The morning mist curled around the cobbled path leading up to the Goddes temple, giving it an ethereal glow. Maria skipped ahead, Miata trailing close behind, her small habd gripping Maria's arm like a lifeline.
Trailing behind them, just a step outside their shadows, was Nora. She walked quietly, her eyes lowered. Her dark eyes wide with awe, clutching the edge of her robe, hands folded against her chest, as if trying to make herself smaller in the crowd. She didn't like attention. She didn't like the way people looked at orphans. Yet when Maria turned her head back and flashed her an encouraging grin, Nora's tense lips loosened into the faintest of smiles.
Don't hang back so far, Nora!" Maria called , her voice bubbling with eagerness. "You'll miss everything if you walk like a shadow".
At nine, Nora was still the youngest, but today she would watch the twins step into a world she already understood-the world of magic.
"Come on, Miata! Don't just cling like a shadow", Maria whispered, tugging gently at her sister's hand. "Today's the day, you know! Today we meet our magical creatures! I bet mine's going to be_"
Miata shushed her, pressing a finger to her lips and looking around nervously. Maria's boldness always made her feel both safe and dizzy at the same time.
Nora, quiet as ever, stole glances at Maria's bright expression, wishing she could speak as freely, but mostly keeping close to Maria, just like Miata.
Maria bumped into a woman-thud.
"Hey! Watch yourself. You dirty orphan-how you dared to touch me" That woman barked, grimanced. Then covering her child said "Did you see! Don't go near people like this sweetheart. They may look harmless, but they're poison". That woman carried her child on her lap and start walking, leaving the three of them.
Miata put her hand on Maria's shoulder, almost hesitantly she whispered " Are you-are you ok?"
Maria tilted her head slightly with a faintest smile and replied "Yeah, after all... it's not the first time".
The temple doors loomed ahead, carved from pale stone that shimmered faintlunder the sun. The air smelled of incense and something else-something sweet and powerful, like a promise. Children from the village gathered in the courtyard, their faces alight with anticipation.
The High Priestess, tall and serene, stepped forward. Her robe shimmered like moonlight on water. "Children", she called, her voice gentle but echoing, "today you will meet your magical comoanions. When you turn ten, your inner power chooses a creature that will guide you, strenthen you, and reflect your magic."
Some children whispered in hushed excitement, other clung to their parents in nerveousness.
Maria's eyes danced as she watched them. "Look at them, Miata! Can you feel it? Today's the day! We'll finally what creature is born from us." Then lowereing her voice she whispered "maybe now people will see us with mercy and differently-that we are not different from them".
Then recovering quickly "Maybe mine will be a phonix-fiery, unstoppable. Or maybe a wolf! A big, silver wolf that'll howl with me at the moon!"
Miata tugged at Maria's sleeve, whispering, "Shh... not so loud. Look at the others..." Her gaze swept over the other children, whose creatures now circuled them protectively, glowing softly with colors that seemed alive.
Finally, in a quiet voice only Maria could hear, she murmured, "what if nothing comes out?"
For the first time, Maria didn't have answer.
"Then it just means... it's taking time....maybe".
Nora clutched her own sleeves, silently hoping her turn would come soon. She peeked at the hovering creatures, fascinated, and almost wished she could reach out and touch them.
One by one, the children stepped forward, kneeling before at High Priestess. Each child's aura shimmered, and a creature appeared, small at first, then glowing and solidifying into the perfect form for that child. Bright wings, shimmering scales, or eyes that glimmered like stars-each creature was unique, each reflecting the power within it.
Finally, their turn came.
Both sisters pressed their hands against the glowing basin, closing their eyes, their lips moving silently as they whispered the words. They waited, Maria could feel the energy around her, the soft hum of power. She braced for the light, the creature, the sign that her destiny had begun.
But nothing happened.
The water rippled, once, twice... then stilled. The room was silent
Maria blinked. "Uh... maybe it's shy? Yeah it's just shy!" She said quickly, trying to mask her creeping disappointment in her voice.
"I can do it again. I didn't concentrate enough!" She placed her hands firmly, shut her eyes tightly, and tried again. Her heart pounded. She imagined fire, wings, teeth, something, anything-
The basin remained silent, its glow undistributed.
Whispers rose among the crowd. Some parents shook their heads in pity. Others pulled their children closer, as if fear of magicless ones might be contagious.
Maria's chest constricted, but she refused to let her smile fall. She tried again. Again. Her small hands trembled, her nails digging into the basin's cold surface.
Miata's hand tightened around her sister's arm. She remained silent, her head slightly bowed, hiding the quiet ache that settled in her chest.
"Why are you always like this, sister? You always try and make others happy but what about you? Did you ever thought of yourself that how much you always suffer because of this. Please don't hurt yourself this much. Just... accept the destiny. Just hug me and let all your pain flow on the air"Miata whispered, only for herself to hear.
The High Priestess knelt before them, her eyes soft but solemn. "Children... your hearts are pure, but... you have no magic. No companion will come to you."
Maria swallowed hard. She forced a smile, her fingers fidgeting nervously. "Oh... okay. That's fine. Really," she said, her voice trembling slightly despite her effort to sound cheerful. She looked at Miata, whose wide eyes reflected both fear and relief at not being singled out. "You're right", she said lightly, her tone almost breezy. " Guess it wasn't meant for us. Destiny, huh?"
Nora, watching silently from the side. She had always looked up to Maria, always envied her boldness. And now, seeing that smile-so fake it hurt-Nora's chest ached.
She wanted to run to Maria, to tell her it was okay, that she was still amazing even without magic. But the words stuck in her throat, trapped by her own thoughts- What i say to her when i myself is very weak, i don't have rights to saw the words i am still not in.
All she could do was watch as Maria laughed a laugh that sounded nothing like her.
Maria gave a shaky laugh,brushing off her disappointment with all the charm she could muster. "Well, guess that means I don't need a creature to be amazing, right? I'll just... invent my own magic!"
Miata allowed herself a tiny smile and nodded, still clinging to Maria's side. Maria's extroverted spark and sheer determination seemed to protect her sister from the sting of rejection, just as she always had.
The temple courtyard slowly emptied as the children with their newly-awakened magical creatures laughed, whispered, and ran alongside their companions. Wings flapped softly, scales shimmered in the sunlight, and eyes gleamed with magical recognition.
Maria,however kept her chin high, her small fists clenched at her sides. Miata still clung to her arm, silent and tense, while Nora hovered close, looking worried.
"Well," Maria said loudly, kicking at a pebble and making it hop across the cobblestones, " I guess this is what not having magic feels like!" she tried to laugh, but it came out a little forced. "Don't worry, Miata, we'll just ... you know...invent our own magic. Yeah! Who need a creature when you have genius ideas, right?"
Miata didn't answer immidiately,but a small exhale escaped her lips. Maria leaned down, whispering conspiratorially, "We can make up a magic that nobody else has. Like... invisible cookies that never disappear. Or a talking broom that does your chores. Or-oh!-a rainbow that follows us everywhere!"
Nora blinked, and for the first time, a tiny smile appeared on her face. She whispered softly, "That... doesn't sound so bad."
Maria clapped her hands excitedly. "See! That's the spirit! Who says you need a creature to have magic? All the best magic is made up anyway. And come on, Miata, we're twins! We're unstoppable. Even if everyone else has sparkly pets, we've got each other. That counts for something, right?"
Miata looked down at her own hands, then back up at her sister's beaming face. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips.
"I... I guess".
"Exactly!" Maria said, bouncing on the bells of her feet. "And besides creatures are so overhyped. You ever notice how they always get all the attention? We don't need that. We'll be the mysterious, brilliant girls who... wait for it... create magic out of thin air! Or at least make it up as we go!"
Nora giggled quietly, covering her mouth with her small hand. Maria leaned closer to her, whispering conspiratory, "And hey, you're joining our club, okay? No creatures? No problem. We'll make our own fun, our own spells, and maybe even-" she lowered her voice dramatically, "- our own adventures that no one else can have".
The three of them huddled together, Maria bouncing slightly on her heels, Miata clinging quietly but a little less tensely, and Nora's soft laughter blending with the sound of the wind through the temple gardens.
"See?" Maria said, spinning around to face them both, arms wide. "Magic isn't just in creatures. Magic is... in courage. And brains. And friendship. And... chocolate, of course". She tapped her chest with a confident little thumo. "And if anyone tries to tell us otherwise, we just invent a spell to make them forget they ever said that!"
Miata finally laughed quietly, a soft sound that Maria caught like a small victory. Nora laughed too, still shyly, and Maria grabbed both of their hands, swinging them gently as they walked down the temple steps.
Even without magical creatures, Maria's chatter, determination, and sheer charm turned disappointment into a small spark of hope.